A comprehensive assessment of food parenting practices: psychometric properties of the portuguese version of the HomeSTEAD family food practices survey and associations with children's weight and food intake

The Home Self-Administered Tool for Environmental Assessment of Activity and Diet (HomeSTEAD) survey evaluates a broad spectrum of food parenting practices related to parental use of control, autonomy support, and structure. This study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the HomeSTEAD family food practices survey in parents of 3–12 year old children. Data were collected from 184 parents/caregivers. We performed an exploratory factor analysis (EFA), calculated the internal consistency coefficients of each subscale, and tested for associations with children’s food intake and weight. Based on the EFA, 61 items were included in the Portuguese version of the HomeSTEAD family food practices survey, and were distributed among four Coercive Control Practices (16 items); five Autonomy Support Practices (17 items); and nine Structure Practices (28 items). All scales demonstrated an acceptable level of internal consistency. A higher body mass index (BMI) SD score in children was associated with higher levels of restriction and weight talk by parents and distractions during meals. Higher levels of distractions during meals were also associated with higher sweets intake in children. Additionally, higher levels of parental modeling and the establishment of rules and limits were associated with lower intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. These associations provide preliminary evidence of the HomeSTEAD family food practices survey’s construct validity and attest to its potential to assess parental strategies and provide useful information to improve children’s eating

Association between proximity of food retailers to schools and dietary intake and nutritional status of adolescents of Porto.

Mestrado em Saúde PúblicaMaster Degree Course in Public Healt

o professor do 1.º ciclo do Ensino Básico como agente fundamental na educação nutricional: análise da sua formação inicial do currículo formal do 1.º ciclo : monografia : <<The>> elementary School Teacher as a crucial agent in nutrition education: initial training and formal curriculum of elementary school analysis

Contém um relatório de estágio curricular realizado no Gabinete do estudante do Instituto Politécnico do Porto, na Unidade de Nutrição do Centro Hospitalar do Porto e no Ginásio Vita Mater, Maia, da licenciatura em Ciências da Nutrição pela Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do Porto. O exemplar do relatório de estágio existe apenas em formato papel e está disponível para consulta na Biblioteca da FCNAUPTese de licenciatura em Ciências da Nutrição apresentada à Faculdade de Ciências da Nutrição e Alimentação da Universidade do PortoResumo da tese:A prevalência de excesso de peso e obesidade é crescente em vários países, em todas as faixas etárias e classes sociais, sendo particularmente preocupante no que concerne à população infantil, pelas consequências a curto, médio e longo prazo. É urgente inverter esta tendência, devendo as acções incidir na alteração de hábitos de vida, nomeadamente na promoção da alimentação saudável e da actividade física. A infância é o momento-chave para criar hábitos alimentares saudáveis e a escola o local preferencial. Para que o seja de forma efectiva, é essencial que haja coerência entre os princípios contemplados no currículo formal, a oferta alimentar da escola e o modelo transmitido pelos adultos de referência, sendo o professor do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico um elemento fulcral neste processo. Analisou-se o currículo formal do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e concluiu-se que os conceitos sobre alimentação e nutrição preconizados são subjectivos, escassos e pouco claros. Os manuais escolares analisados reflectem o programa nacional e possuem mensagens erradas, pelo que a revisão técnica profissional seria fundamental. O professor do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico tem um papel activo na educação nutricional: por gerir o programa nacional e as áreas curriculares não disciplinares e por exercer efeito, como modelo, na criação de hábitos alimentares saudáveis. Por isso, seria importante que a formação inicial do professor do 1º Ciclo do Ensino Básico contemplasse a educação para a saúde, nomeadamente aprendizagens relativas à nutrição e alimentação. No curso de formação inicial de professores do 1º Ciclo analisado isto não acontece, de forma consistente.Thesis abstract: Overweight and obesity predominance is increasing in several countries, in all age groups and social classes, being particularly important concerning children, due to the short, middle and long term consequences. It is urgent to reverse this tendency and, for that, actions should focus on lifestyle modifications, namely through promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Childhood is the key moment to create healthy eating habits and the school is the privileged place to do that. For this to be effective, it is essential that coherence between the principles covered in the formal curriculum, school food supply and the model provided by the reference adults exists, being the elementary school teacher a crucial element. The study made on the formal curriculum of elementary school allowed concluding that the concept of food and nutrition are subjective, insufficient and unclear. The school books that were analysed reflect the national programme, which includes incorrect messages, and therefore technical revision should take place. The elementary school teacher has an active role in nutritional education: by managing the national programme and non-disciplinary curriculum areas, and being an effective model in the creation of healthy eating habits. Therefore, it would be essential that elementary school teachers initial training includes health as an educational aspect, specifically concepts related to food and nutrition. In the analysed elementary school teachers initial training, this doesn’t happen, in a consistent way

A mobile-based tailored recommendation system for parents of children with overweight or obesity: a new tool for health care centers

Childhood obesity is associated with unbalanced lifestyle patterns, and new strategies are needed to support parents in the compliance with the guidelines for children’s age. Tailored automatic recommendations mimic interpersonal counseling and are promising strategies to be considered for health promotion programs. This study aimed to develop and test a mobile recommendation system for parents of preschool children identified with overweight/obesity at health care centers. Evidence-based recommendations related to children’s eating, drinking, moving, and sleeping habits were developed and tested using a questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted in a health care center to test how using an app with those tailored recommendations, in video format, influenced parents’ perceptions of the child’s weight status and their knowledge about the guidelines, compared to a control group. The chi-squared test was used for categorical variables and the Mann–Whitney U test for continuous variables (p < 0.05). A high proportion of parents were already informed about the guidelines, but their children were not meeting them. After watching the tailored recommendations, there was an increased knowledge of the guideline on water intake, but there was no improvement in the perception of the child’s excessive weight. Parents may benefit from a mobile-based tailored recommendation system to improve their knowledge about the guidelines. However, there is a need to work with parents on motivation to manage the child’s weight with additional strategies

Investigação de parentesco biológico: a importância de marcadores adicionais em casos de especial complexidade

Poster apresentado no 18º Congresso Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses. Coimbra, Portugal, 21-23 de Novembro de 2019A grande maioria das perícias de investigação de parentesco biológico realizadas pelo Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciências Forenses (INMLCF) têm inicio com a ordem do Tribunal para realização da mesma. O mais frequente é o Tribunal dar ordem para nos serem presentes, como intervenientes, um trio constituído por um suposto pai, uma mãe e um(a) filho(a), havendo, no entanto, variações quanto ao número ou tipo de intervenientes, o que pode resultar em maior dificuldade em apresentar resultados com a robustez desejada. Em qualquer dos casos, genericamente, as conclusões possíveis de um estudo de parentesco biológico e mais concretamente de um estudo de paternidade são a exclusão ou não exclusão de paternidade relativamente ao suposto pai em estudo. A conclusão pela não exclusão é sempre acompanhada pela valorização estatística dos resultados, designadamente através do cálculo e apresentação do Índice de Parentesco (IP) e da Probabilidade de Parentesco (W). No caso de uma perícia de investigação de parentesco em que nos seja presente unicamente um filho biológico do suposto pai e um suposto filho biológico, sem possibilidade de estudo das amostras das respetivas mães biológicas nem da amostra biológica do suposto pai, e nos é pedido o estudo sobre a possibilidade de ambos serem filhos biológicos do mesmo pai, a impossibilidade de exclusão da paternidade pode estar associada a valores calculados de IP que podem ser pouco robustos. O ensaio Investigator® HDplex permite o estudo de marcadores genéticos adicionais aos habitualmente estudados na rotina pericial do INMLCF.N/

Elicitation of expert prior opinion: application to the MYPAN trial in childhood polyarteritis nodosa.

OBJECTIVES: Definitive sample sizes for clinical trials in rare diseases are usually infeasible. Bayesian methodology can be used to maximise what is learnt from clinical trials in these circumstances. We elicited expert prior opinion for a future Bayesian randomised controlled trial for a rare inflammatory paediatric disease, polyarteritis nodosa (MYPAN, Mycophenolate mofetil for polyarteritis nodosa). METHODS: A Bayesian prior elicitation meeting was convened. Opinion was sought on the probability that a patient in the MYPAN trial treated with cyclophosphamide would achieve disease remission within 6-months, and on the relative efficacies of mycophenolate mofetil and cyclophosphamide. Expert opinion was combined with previously unseen data from a recently completed randomised controlled trial in ANCA associated vasculitis. RESULTS: A pan-European group of fifteen experts participated in the elicitation meeting. Consensus expert prior opinion was that the most likely rates of disease remission within 6 months on cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate mofetil were 74% and 71%, respectively. This prior opinion will now be taken forward and will be modified to formulate a Bayesian posterior opinion once the MYPAN trial data from 40 patients randomised 1:1 to either CYC or MMF become available. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the methodological template we propose could be applied to trial design for other rare diseases

Extending the phenotypic spectrum assessed by the CDR plus NACC FTLD in genetic frontotemporal dementia

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to expand the range of the frontotemporal dementia (FTD) phenotypes assessed by the Clinical Dementia Rating Dementia Staging Instrument plus National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Behavior and Language Domains (CDR plus NACC FTLD). METHODS: Neuropsychiatric and motor domains were added to the standard CDR plus NACC FTLD generating a new CDR plus NACC FTLD-NM scale. This was assessed in 522 mutation carriers and 310 mutation-negative controls from the Genetic Frontotemporal dementia Initiative (GENFI). RESULTS: The new scale led to higher global severity scores than the CDR plus NACC FTLD: 1.4% of participants were now considered prodromal rather than asymptomatic, while 1.3% were now considered symptomatic rather than asymptomatic or prodromal. No participants with a clinical diagnosis of an FTD spectrum disorder were classified as asymptomatic using the new scales. DISCUSSION: Adding new domains to the CDR plus NACC FTLD leads to a scale that encompasses the wider phenotypic spectrum of FTD with further work needed to validate its use more widely. Highlights: The new Clinical Dementia Rating Dementia Staging Instrument plus National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Behavior and Language Domains neuropsychiatric and motor (CDR plus NACC FTLD-NM) rating scale was significantly positively correlated with the original CDR plus NACC FTLD and negatively correlated with the FTD Rating Scale (FRS). No participants with a clinical diagnosis in the frontotemporal dementia spectrum were classified as asymptomatic with the new CDR plus NACC FTLD-NM rating scale. Individuals had higher global severity scores with the addition of the neuropsychiatric and motor domains. A receiver operating characteristic analysis of symptomatic diagnosis showed nominally higher areas under the curve for the new scales.</p