The effects of the HEALTHY study intervention on middle school student dietary intakes

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The HEALTHY study was designed to respond to the alarming trends in increasing rates of overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in youth. The objective of this analysis was to examine the effects of the HEALTHY study on student self-reported dietary intakes (energy, macronutrients and grams consumed of selected food groups).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>HEALTHY was a cluster-randomized study in 42 public middle schools. Students, n = 3908, self-reported dietary intake using the Block Kids Questionnaire. General linear mixed models were used to analyze differences in dietary intake at the end of the study between intervention and control schools.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The reported average daily fruit consumption was 10% higher at the end of the study in the intervention schools than in the control schools (138 g or approximately 2 servings versus 122 g, respectively, p = 0.0016). The reported water intake was approximately 2 fluid ounces higher in the intervention schools than in the control (483 g versus 429 g respectively; p = 0.008). There were no significant differences between intervention and control for mean intakes of energy, macronutrients, fiber, grains, vegetables, legumes, sweets, sweetened beverages, and higher- or lower-fat milk consumption.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The HEALTHY study, a five-semester middle school-based intervention program that integrated multiple components in nutrition, physical education, behavior change, and social marketing-based communications, resulted in significant changes to student's reported fruit and water intake. Subsequent interventions need to go beyond the school environment to change diet behaviors that may affect weight status of children.</p> <p>Clinical Trials Registration</p> <p><a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00458029">NCT00458029</a></p

A Systematic Evaluation of Websites Offering Information on Chronic Kidney Disease

In this study, we described the content and characteristics of 40 non-proprietary websites offering information about chronic kidney disease (CKD) and evaluated their information quality using the DISCERN scale and readability using Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid grade level. The areas in which the websites scored the lowest on the DISCERN scale were whether the website discussed knowledge gaps, presented balanced information, and was clear about the information source. Websites that rated higher quality on the DISCERN scale were more difficult to read. The quality and readability of many websites about CKD to be used as meaningful educational resources for patients who desire to learn more about CKD and treatment options remain inadequate

Protocol of a systematic review to assess programs or curricula to train early care and education stakeholders on infant and young child feeding in the U.S.

Background: Rationale: The rationale for this systematic review of breastfeeding education and curricula for the early care and education setting is to understand the data and research to inform recommendations for strategic policy changes. Summarizing the available data on existing approaches to breastfeeding education for early care and education stakeholders will guide future work to embed best practices for children and families utilizing human milk, ensuring this work is built on a data-supported foundation. Objectives: Our primary objective is to explore the peer-reviewed literature on programs or curricula to train child care technical consultants, teachers, and directors and other early care and education stakeholders on infant and young child feeding. Methods: Eligibility criteria: We will include articles in English addressing 1) infant feeding in early care and education settings and 2) policies, practices, or trainings related to breastfeeding practices in early care and education settings. To be included, articles must address both criteria; those addressing one but not the other will be excluded, as will studies conducted outside of the United States. The search will encompass the full range of English-language holdings available in each database (no date limits will be used). Information sources: A health sciences librarian (ST) developed the search strategy in collaboration with the research team’s subject matter experts. The initial strategy was developed for PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health). It includes a combination of keywords and PubMed Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) related to 1) early care and education; 2) education, training, or policies; and 3) infant and young child feeding. The librarian tested the search strategy to ensure that it retrieved a group of relevant citations (n=3) previously identified by the subject matter experts. The PubMed search strategy was peer reviewed by another health sciences librarian with experience in systematic review search strategy development. After peer review, the PubMed strategy was translated for three databases: Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) Plus with Full Text, PsycINFO (EBSCOhost), and Scopus (Elsevier). No date limits were used. The search results were limited to English. Complete strategies for each database are listed in Appendix A. We will attempt to obtain full-text articles for all studies that potentially meet inclusion criteria. If we are unable to obtain a full-text article via library subscriptions or interlibrary loan services, we will attempt to contact study authors for a copy. Other search methods, including grey literature searching and forward and backward citation searching, will not be conducted; however, citations for any systematic reviews identified by our search will be reviewed for possible inclusion of individual articles. Search strategy: Full search strategies are presented in Appendix A. Study records: Data management: Citations were exported from each database and imported into Endnote where they were deduplicated. Citations were then uploaded into Covidence for screening and extraction. Selection process: Two independent reviewers will be used for selecting studies at each phase of the review (abstract and title screening and full text review). A third investigator will work with the two reviewers to resolve any discrepancies through consensus regarding inclusion or exclusion. Data collection process: Two investigators will extract data from each article meeting inclusion criteria. Data will be extracted on PICO items listed below. One investigator will perform a quality assessment of the included studies using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for examining potential risk of bias. Data items: Study aim and design; setting; study population; intervention/curricula characteristics; comparison group characteristics if available; outcomes; strengths and weaknesses

The effects of the HEALTHY study intervention on middle school student dietary intakes

BackgroundThe HEALTHY study was designed to respond to the alarming trends in increasing rates of overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus in youth. The objective of this analysis was to examine the effects of the HEALTHY study on student self-reported dietary intakes (energy, macronutrients and grams consumed of selected food groups).MethodsHEALTHY was a cluster-randomized study in 42 public middle schools. Students, n = 3908, self-reported dietary intake using the Block Kids Questionnaire. General linear mixed models were used to analyze differences in dietary intake at the end of the study between intervention and control schools.ResultsThe reported average daily fruit consumption was 10% higher at the end of the study in the intervention schools than in the control schools (138 g or approximately 2 servings versus 122 g, respectively, p = 0.0016). The reported water intake was approximately 2 fluid ounces higher in the intervention schools than in the control (483 g versus 429 g respectively; p = 0.008). There were no significant differences between intervention and control for mean intakes of energy, macronutrients, fiber, grains, vegetables, legumes, sweets, sweetened beverages, and higher- or lower-fat milk consumption.ConclusionThe HEALTHY study, a five-semester middle school-based intervention program that integrated multiple components in nutrition, physical education, behavior change, and social marketing-based communications, resulted in significant changes to student's reported fruit and water intake. Subsequent interventions need to go beyond the school environment to change diet behaviors that may affect weight status of children.Clinical Trials RegistrationNCT0045802