60 research outputs found
Adolescents and MP3 Players: Too Many Risks, Too Few Precautions
OBJECTIVE. The goal was to assess risky and protective listening behaviors of adolescent
users of MP3 players and the association of these behaviors with demographic
characteristics and frequency of use.
METHODS. In 2007, 1687 adolescents (12â19 years of age) in 68 classes in 15 Dutch
secondary schools were invited to complete questionnaires about their music-listening
behaviors.
RESULTS. Ninety percent of participants reported listening to music through earphones
on MP3 players; 32.8% were frequent users, 48.0% used high volume settings, and
only 6.8% always or nearly always used a noise-limiter. Frequent users were _4
times more likely to listen to high-volume music than were infrequent users, and
adolescents in practical prevocational schools were more than twice as likely to listen
to high-volume music as were those attending preuniversity education.
CONCLUSIONS. When using MP3 players, adolescents are very likely to engage in risky
listening behaviors and are unlikely to seek protection. Frequent MP3 player use is
an indicator of other risky listening behaviors, such as listening at high volumes and
failing to use noise-limiter
Differences in fruit and vegetable intake and determinants of intakes between children of Dutch origin and non-Western ethnic minority children in the Netherlands - a cross sectional study.
BACKGROUND: Fruit and vegetable consumption is low in the Netherlands and a key target in healthy diet promotion. However, hardly any information is available on differences in fruit and vegetable consumption between Dutch children and ethnic minority children. Therefore, the aim of present study was to determine differences in usual fruit and vegetable intake between native Dutch and non-Western ethnic minority children and to study differences in and mediating effects of potential psychosocial and environmental determinants. METHODS: Ethnicity, usual fruit and vegetable consumption, psychosocial and environmental determinants and mothers' educational level were measured with a self-administered questionnaire during school hours in primary schools in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Complete data was available for 521 10-11 year-old-children, of which 50.5% of non-Western origin. Differences between the groups regarding potential determinants and fruit and vegetable intake were assessed with Mann Whitney tests or multiple regression analyses. Multiple regression analyses were also conducted to assess mediating effects. RESULTS: Ethnic minority girls ate fruit more frequently (1.41 +/- 1.0 times/day) than Dutch girls (1.03 +/- 0.82 times/day); no differences in frequency of intake were found for vegetables or among boys. Ethnic differences were found for almost all potential determinants. The Dutch children reported lower scores on these determinants than the ethnic minority children, except for perceived self-efficacy and barriers to eat fruit and vegetables. Knowledge of recommendations and facilitating behaviors of the parents mediated the association between ethnicity and fruit consumption among girls. CONCLUSION: Ethnic minority girls in the Netherlands appear to have more favorable fruit intakes than Dutch girls, and ethnic minority children in general show more positive prerequisites for fruit and vegetable consumption. Interventions addressing multi-ethnic populations of children must take such differences into account
Environmental determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption among adults: a systematic review
The current ecological approach in health behaviour research recognises that health behaviour needs to be understood in a broad environmental
context. This has led to an exponential increase in the number of studies on this topic. It is the aim of this systematic review to summarise the
existing empirical evidence pertaining to environmental influences on fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption. The environment was defined as âall
factors external to the individualâ. Scientific databases and reference lists of selected papers were systematically searched for observational studies
among adults (18â60 years old), published in English between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 2004, with environmental factor(s) as independent factor(s), and fruit intake, vegetable intake or FV intake combined as one outcome measure as dependent factor(s). Findings showed there was
a great diversity in the environmental factors studied, but that the number of replicated studies for each determinant was limited. Most evidence
was found for household income, as people with lower household incomes consistently had a lower FV consumption. Married people had higher
intakes than those who were single, whereas having children showed mixed results. Good local availability (e.g. access to oneâs own vegetable
garden, having low food insecurity) seemed to exert a positive influence on intake. Regarding the development of interventions, improved opportunities for sufficient FV consumption among low-income households are likely to lead to improved intakes. For all other environmental factors,
more replicated studies are required to examine their influence on FV intake
Exploring why residents of socioeconomically deprived neighbourhoods have less favourable perceptions of their neighbourhood environment than residents of wealthy neighbourhoods
Residents of socioeconomically deprived areas perceive their neighbourhood as less
conducive to healthy behaviours than residents of more affluent areas. Whether
these unfavourable perceptions are based on objective neighbourhood features or
other factors is poorly understood. We examined individual and contextual correlates
of socioeconomic inequalities in neighbourhood perceptions across five urban
regions in Europe.
Data were analysed from 5205 participants of the SPOTLIGHT survey.
Participants reported perceptions of their neighbourhood environment with regard
to aesthetics, safety, the presence of destinations and functionality of the
neighbourhood, which were summed into an overall neighbourhood perceptions
score. Multivariable multilevel regression analyses were conducted to investigate
whether the following factors were associated with socioeconomic inequalities in
neighbourhood perceptions: objectively observed neighbourhood features,
neighbourhood social capital, exposure to the neighbourhood, self-rated health
and lifestyle behaviours.
Objectively observed traffic safety, aesthetics and the presence of destinations in the
neighbourhood explained around 15% of differences in neighbourhood perceptions
between residents of high and low neighbourhoods; levels of neighbourhood
social cohesion explained around 52%. Exposure to the neighbourhood, self-rated
health and lifestyle behaviours were significant correlates of neighbourhood
perceptions but did not contribute to socioeconomic differences.
This cross-European study provided evidence that socioeconomic differences in
neighbourhood perceptions are not only associated with objective neighbourhood
features but also with social cohesion. Levels of physical activity, sleep duration,
self-rated health, happiness and neighbourhood preference were also associated
with neighbourhood perceptions
Fruit and vegetable intake in a sample of 11-year-old children in 9 European countries: The pro children cross-sectional survey
Background/Aims: An adequate fruit and vegetable intake provides essential nutrients and nutritive compounds and is considered an important part of a healthy lifestyle. No simple instrument has been available for the assessment of fruit and vegetable intake as well as its determinants in school-aged children applicable in different European countries. Within the Pro Children Project, such an instrument has been developed. This paper describes the cross-sectional survey in 11-year-olds in 9 countries. Methods: The cross-sectional survey used nationally, and in 2 countries regionally, representative samples of schools and classes. The questionnaires, including a precoded 24-hour recall component and a food frequency part, were completed in the classroom. Data were treated using common syntax files for portion sizes and for merging of vegetable types into four subgroups. Results: The results show that the fruit and vegetable intake in amounts and choice were highly diverse in the 9 participating countries. Vegetable intake was in general lower than fruit intake, boys consumed less fruit and vegetables than girls did. The highest total intake according to the 24-hour recall was found in Austria and Portugal, the lowest in Spain and Iceland. Conclusion: The fruit and vegetable intake in 11-year-old children was in all countries far from reaching population goals and food-based dietary guidelines on national and international levels. Copyrigh
A Randomized Controlled Trial to Examine the Effect of 2-Year Vitamin B12 and Folic Acid Supplementation on Physical Performance, Strength, and Falling: Additional Findings from the B-PROOF Study
Elevated homocysteine concentrations are associated with a decline in physical function in elderly persons. Homocysteine-lowering therapy may slow down this decline. This study aimed to examine the effect of a 2-year intervention of vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation on physical performance, handgrip strength, and risk of falling in elderly subjects in a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial. Participants aged â„65 years with elevated plasma homocysteine concentrations [12â50 ”mol/L (n = 2919)] were randomly assigned to daily supplementation of 500 ”g vitamin B12, 400 ”g folic acid, and 600 I
Interactions of individual perceived barriers and neighbourhood destinations with obesity-related behaviours in Europe
Perceived barriers towards physical activity and healthy eating as well as local availability of opportunities (destinations in the neighbourhood) are important determinants of obesity-related behaviours in adults. Little is known, however, about how these factors interact with the behaviours. Data were analysed from 5,205 participants of the SPOTLIGHT survey, conducted in 60 neighbourhoods in urban regions of five different countries across Europe. A virtual audit was conducted to collect data on the presence of destinations in each neighb
Effects and moderators of psychosocial interventions on quality of life, and emotional and social function in patients with cancer : an individual patient data meta-analysis of 21 RCTs
Objective: This individual patient data (IPD) metaâanalysis aimed to evaluate the effects of psychosocial interventions (PSI) on quality of life (QoL), emotional function (EF), and social function (SF) in patients with cancer, and to study moderator effects of demographic, clinical, personal, and interventionârelated characteristics.
Methods: Relevant studies were identified via literature searches in 4 databases. We pooled IPD from 22 (n = 4217) of 61 eligible randomized controlled trials. Linear mixedâeffect model analyses were used to study intervention effects on the postâintervention values of QoL, EF, and SF (zâscores), adjusting for baseline values, age, and cancer type. We studied moderator effects by testing interactions with the intervention for demographic, clinical, personal, and interventionârelated characteristics, and conducted subsequent stratified analyses for significant moderator variables.Results: PSI significantly improved QoL (ÎČ = 0.14,95%CI = 0.06;0.21), EF (ÎČ = 0.13,95%CI = 0.05;0.20), and SF (ÎČ = 0.10,95%CI = 0.03;0.18). Significant differences in effects of different types of PSI were found, with largest effects of psychotherapy. The effects of coping skills training were moderated by age, treatment type, and targeted interventions. Effects of psychotherapy on EF may be moderated by cancer type, but these analyses were based on 2 randomized controlled trials with small sample sizes of some cancer types.
Conclusions: PSI significantly improved QoL, EF, and SF, with small overall effects. However, the effects differed by several demographic, clinical, personal, and interventionârelated characteristics. Our study highlights the beneficial effects of coping skills training in patients treated with chemotherapy, the importance of targeted interventions, and the need of developing interventions tailored to the specific needs of elderly patients
Social disparities in food preparation behaviours: a DEDIPAC study
BACKGROUND: The specific role of major socio-economic indicators in influencing food preparation behaviours could reveal distinct socio-economic patterns, thus enabling mechanisms to be understood that contribute to social inequalities in health. This study investigated whether there was an independent association of each socio-economic indicator (education, occupation, income) with food preparation behaviours. METHODS: A total of 62,373 adults participating in the web-based NutriNet-Santé cohort study were included in our cross-sectional analyses. Cooking skills, preparation from scratch and kitchen equipment were assessed using a 0-10-point score; frequency of meal preparation, enjoyment of cooking and willingness to cook better/more frequently were categorical variables. Independent associations between socio-economic factors (education, income and occupation) and food preparation behaviours were assessed using analysis of covariance and logistic regression models stratified by sex. The models simultaneously included the three socio-economic indicators, adjusting for age, household composition and whether or not they were the main cook in the household. RESULTS: Participants with the lowest education, the lowest income group and female manual and office workers spent more time preparing food daily than participants with the highest education, those with the highest income and managerial staff (P < 0.0001). The lowest educated individuals were more likely to be non-cooks than those with the highest education level (Women: OR = 3.36 (1.69;6.69); Men: OR = 1.83 (1.07;3.16)) while female manual and office workers and the never-employed were less likely to be non-cooks (OR = 0.52 (0.28;0.97); OR = 0.30 (0.11;0.77)). Female manual and office workers had lower scores of preparation from scratch and were less likely to want to cook more frequently than managerial staff (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). Women belonging to the lowest income group had a lower score of kitchen equipment (P < 0.0001) and were less likely to enjoy cooking meal daily (OR = 0.68 (0.45;0.86)) than those with the highest income. CONCLUSION: Lowest socio-economic groups, particularly women, spend more time preparing food than high socioeconomic groups. However, female manual and office workers used less raw or fresh ingredients to prepare meals than managerial staff. In the unfavourable context in France with reduced time spent preparing meals over last decades, our findings showed socioeconomic disparities in food preparation behaviours in women, whereas few differences were observed in men
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