Patterns in Child and Adolescent Consumption of Fruit and Vegetables: Effects of Gender and Ethnicity across Four Sites

Objectives: Few studies have examined the association of gender and ethnicity with fruit and vegetable consumption. We examined these associations using baseline data from four school-based sites funded under the National Cancer Institute’s 5 A Day for Better Health Program. Methods: Diet was measured using 24-hour recalls at three sites and seven-day food records at one site. Demographics were obtained via self-report or school records. Regression analyses for clustered data were employed with fruit and vegetables combined and fruit and vegetables separately. Results: Girls ate more fruit, more vegetables and more fruit and vegetables combined than boys at the Georgia site. Ethnicity was significant in two sites: In Georgia, African-Americans ate more fruit and more fruit and vegetables combined than European-Americans; in Minnesota, Asian-American/Pacific Islanders and African-Americans ate more fruit than European-Americans, and European-Americans and African-Americans ate more vegetables than Asian-Americans. No significant effects were found at the Alabama or Louisiana sites. Conclusions: Ethnicity was related to fruit and vegetable consumption in Georgia and Minnesota. Consistent with prior studies, gender was related to fruit and vegetable consumption, with girls consuming more servings than boys; however, this was observed at one site only, Georgia. Consumption levels were similar to national estimates for children and varied by region. Further studies are needed using a single methodology to facilitate regional comparisons

Recruitment Issues in School-Based Research: Lessons Learned from the High 5 Alabama Project

School-based research requires a multi-level recruitment process to ensure an adequate sample. This article describes the High 5 Alabama recruitment experience at four levels: district, school, classroom and individual. One hundred percent of 28 schools across three districts and 108 classroom teachers contacted agreed to participate. Moderate success (69%) at the individual level, which required active parental consent for the student and parent to participate, resulted in 1,698 student/parent participants. An examination of differences between participants and nonparticipants revealed under-representation of a subsample of the population in the project sample. Suggestions obtained from project staff and teachers intended to enhance future school-based recruitment strategies include enlistment of a district advocate; meeting with teachers to solicit support; using incentives with students and teachers; direct contact with parents; having teachers keep rosters of students returning consent forms; and tailoring recruitment strategies for specific subpopulations

Increasing the Fruit and Vegetable Consumption of Fourth-Graders: Results from the High 5 Project

Background. This study evaluated the effects of a school-based dietary intervention program to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among fourth-graders. Methods. Twenty-eight elementary schools were randomized to an immediate intervention condition or to a delayed intervention control condition. Measures of diet and psychosocial variables were collected at base line and 1 and 2 years post-baseline. The intervention included classroom, parent, and cafeteria components. Results. Mean daily consumption of fruit and vegetables was higher for the intervention children compared with controls at Follow-up 1 (X0t = 3.96, Xc = 2.28) and at Follow-up 2 (Xt= 3.20, Xc = 2.21). Macro- and micronutrient changes favoring the intervention children were also observed at both Follow-up 1 and Follow-up 2. Mean daily consumption of fruit and vegetables was higher for intervention parents compared with controls at Follow-up 1 (Xt = 4.23, Xc = 3.94) but not at Follow-up 2. Conclusions. Strong effects were found for the High 5 intervention on fruit and vegetable consumption, on macro- and micro-nutrients, and on psychosocial variables. Future work is needed to enhance the intervention effects on parents\u27 consumption and to test the effectiveness of the intervention when delivered by classroom teachers

Globalization and Women in Coastal Communities in Tanzania

Marilyn Porter, Rosemarie Mwaipopo, Richard Faustine and Max Mzuma draw on data collected in two fishing communities in Tanzania to illustrate the global nature of the issues that women and coastal communities face. Coastal communities, such as Somanga and Songosongo, often suffer disproportionately from processes of interactive restructuring, and women are especially at risk. Development (2008) 51, 193–198. doi:10.1057/dev.2008.4

Microcosm studies of the role of land plants in elevating soil carbon dioxide and chemical weathering

A decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration during the mid-Palaeozoic is postulated to have been partially the consequence of the evolution of rooted land plants. Root development increased the amount of carbonic acid generated by root respiration within soils. This led to increased chemical weathering of silicates and subsequent formation of carbonates, resulting in lower atmospheric CO2 concentrations. To test this assumption, analog (morphologically equivalent) plant species, ranging from those possessing no roots to those with complex rhizomatous rooting systems, were grown in trays within microcosms at ambient (360 ppm/0.37 mbar) and highly elevated (3500 ppm/3.55 mbar) atmospheric CO2 concentrations in a controlled environment facility. Substrate CO2 concentrations increased significantly under elevated atmospheric CO2, and Equisetum hyemale (L.). The latter is postulated to result from the effects of deeply rooted plants, elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations, or both. Plants with simple or no rooting systems or the addition of dead organic matter as a substrate for microorganisms did not enhance substrate CO2 concentrations