Carbohydrate Consumption and Fatigue: A Review

Fatigue is a condition that negatively impacts quality of life and occurs in about twenty four percent of adults worldwide. Many factors may contribute to fatigue. One factor is the macronutrient composition of a person’s diet, particularly, the amount of simple carbohydrates. This paper is a review of the current literature and examines the relationship of carbohydrate consumption and fatigue to determine if a diet low in simple carbohydrates results in an improvement in fatigue ratings. Results of studies regarding carbohydrate consumption and fatigue vary, the preponderance demonstrate a positive relationship between simple carbohydrate consumption and fatigue. Additionally, diets low in simple carbohydrates may improve cognition, mood and help reduce type 2 diabetes. To date, no study has been conducted to examine the long term effect of a diet low in simple carbohydrates therefore further research is needed in this area

Chronic Disease and Risk Factors among Nevadans with Disabilities: A 2009 BRFSS Study

Previous research has found that people with disabilities are more likely to have chronic diseases (coronary artery disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, diabetes), secondary conditions (high blood pressure, high cholesterol) and risk factors for chronic disease (physical inactivity and obesity) (Havercamp, Scandlin, & Roth, 2004; Kinne, Patrick, & Doyle, 2004; Nosek, Hughes, Petersen et al., 2006; Reichard, Stolzle, & Fox, 2011). The purpose of this study was to conduct a secondary analysis using data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to identify differences in chronic disease risk factors and chronic disease/ secondary conditions between adults with and without disabilities in Nevada. Nevadans with a disability were significantly more likely to report having chronic diseases (cancer, coronary artery disease, diabetes, stroke and asthma), to be physically inactive, and overweight/obese and to report high blood pressure and high cholesterol. As a way to reduce chronic disease and secondary conditions among people with disabilities, Healthy People 2010 calls for all wellness and treatment facilities to be fully accessible for people with disabilities (US Department of Health and Human Service, 2002). More research is needed to determine if inaccessibility of wellness and treatment facilities is contributing to health disparities found among people with disabilities in Nevada

Utilization of Preventative Health Services by Nevadans with Disabilities

Health disparities are differences in access to health care, quality of health care and health outcomes observed between population-specific groups of people (Health Resources and Services Administration, 2000). Previous research has found that people with disabilities experience unequal access to preventative health care services. The purpose of this study was to conduct a secondary data analysis using data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to determine differences in utilization of preventative health services between adults with and without disabilities in Nevada. Nevadans with disabilities were significantly more likely to have access to health insurance and to have seen a physician in the past year. Nevadans with disabilities were significantly more likely to engage in some preventative services (pneumonia and flu vaccination) and less likely to engage in other preventative services (pap in the past three years and dental cleaning in the past year). This may be the result of some preventative services being easily administered to patients whether they have disabilities or not (immunizations) while other preventative services are more difficult to administer to those with disabilities. Public health interventions are needed to address the unique needs of Nevadans with disabilities to ensure equal access to all recommended preventative health care services

Use of a Multi-tiered Framework to Analyze Commercial, Cause and Social Marketing Strategies in Sport

Marketing can be described as commercial, cause-related or social depending on the locus of benefit, the objective / outcomes desired and the focus of exchange. Social marketing has been described as the application of marketing technologies designed to influence the voluntary behavior of a target audience to improve personal and societal welfare (Andreasen 1995). Increasingly sport organizations have been engaging in social marketing which has a unique set of objectives and outcomes. To date, few studies have appeared in which the use of social marketing strategies were examined in sport. As a result, the purpose of this paper is to identify the distinct differences between social marketing, cause-related marketing and commercial marketing Through development of a multi-tiered marketing framework, analysis of each approach will be undertaken to illuminate the use of each strategy in sport to achieve both economic and non-economic marketing related objectives

Physical and Mental Disabilities Among the Gender-Diverse Population Using the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Brfss (2017–2019): A Propensity-Matched Analysis

This propensity-matched analysis utilized the publicly available Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2017–2019) data to compare the burden of disabilities among transgender/non-binary (TGNB) and cisgender groups. The groups were matched (1:1 ratio) on demographic variables using Nearest Neighborhood Matching. Categorical variables were compared among groups using a Chi-square analysis to test differences in the proportions. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was fit to predict the likelihood of the physical and mental disabilities among the TGNB group compared with the cisgender group while controlling for healthcare access factors, income, and employment. Survey weights were included in the model to account for the complex survey design. In a weighted sample of 664,103 respondents, only 2827 (0.4%) self-identified as TGNB. In the matched sample, a higher proportion of the TGNB group belonged to the low-income group (39.5% vs. 29.8%, p \u3c 0.001), were unable to work (12.5% vs. 8.6%, p \u3c 0.001), and delayed care due to cost barriers (19.0% vs. 12.4%, p \u3c 0.001). Compared with the cisgender group, the odds of having difficulty making decisions were 1.94 times higher (95% CI: 1.67–2.27) and odds of difficulty walking were 1.38 times higher (95% CI: 1.19, 1.59) among the TGNB group. Additionally, the TGNB group had 59.8% higher adjusted odds ratio (aOR) (aOR 1.598, 95% Confidence interval (CI): 1.256, 2.034) of experiencing difficulty dressing and 83.3% higher odds (aOR 1.833, 95% CI: 1.533, 2.191) in having difficulty doing things alone. The findings of this study advocate for developing policies and interventions to deliver culturally competent care to the TGNB population with disabilities

An Investigation of Youth Swimming Skills and Method of Instruction

Drowning is a leading cause of death for US children. Teaching youth to swim in a formal setting from certified instructors is a consistent drowning prevention recommendation. Purposes for this investigation was to examine type of swimming instruction and ability to swim and compare to attitudes toward swimming among US youth. Methods were similar to previous USA Swimming studies in 2008 and 2010. YMCA associations in five cities were used to recruit adolescent survey respondents (n=600) aged 12-18 years. Results showed African American youth had the lowest rate of formal swimming instruction (29%) compared to White (32%) and Hispanic (42%) peers. Free/reduced lunch qualifiers reported a 23% formal instruction rate as compared to 43% of non-qualifiers. Formally instructed youth were 2.35 times more likely to report being a skilled swimmer (86%) compared to informally instructed youth (72%). Formal swimming instruction is recommended, and interventions need to target underserved populations

Impact of HIV Testing and Counseling (HTC) Knowledge on HIV Prevention Practices Among Traditional Birth Attendants in Nigeria

Nigeria is second in the world for the number of people with HIV and has a high rate of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). Over 60% of births in Nigeria occur outside of health care facilities, and because of this, Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) play a significant role in maternal and child health. It is important that TBAs be knowledgeable about HIV prevention. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) knowledge on the HIV prevention practices among TBAs in Nigeria. Five hundred TBAs were surveyed. Chi-square and logistic regression were used to assess differences in HIV prevention practices between TBAs with and without HTC knowledge. TBAs with HTC knowledge are significantly more likely to engage in HIV prevention practices than TBAs without HTC. Prevention practices included: wearing gloves during delivery (p \u3c 0.01), sterilization of delivery equipment (p \u3c 0.01), participation in blood safety training (p \u3c 0.01), and disposal of sharps (p \u3c 0.01). As long as a high percent of births occur outside health care facilities in Nigeria, there will be a need for TBAs. Providing TBAs with HTC training increases HIV prevention practices and can be a key to improve maternal and child health

Health and Sociodemographic Differences between Individual and Team Sport Participants

Physical activity (PA) has been widely recognized as an avenue to improve health. Researchers have also found better health outcomes among adults who participate in sport when compared to adults who participate in other forms of PA. However, little is known about the health differences between those who participate in individual versus team sport. The purpose of the study was to identify differences in chronic diseases, conditions, or risk factors between individual and team sport participants. This study was a secondary analysis of data from the national Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey conducted in 2017. PA that was identified as sport was further categorized as an individual or a team sport. Odds and adjusted odds ratios for chronic diseases based on sport category were calculated using logistic regression. There were significant differences in all sociodemographic characteristics between the groups. Those who participated in team sport did so for more minutes and at a higher intensity and were less likely to report several chronic diseases/conditions. However, after controlling for sociodemographic differences between groups, only depression, general health, and smoking remained significant. The social aspect of team sport may be protective against depression but may also influence unhealthy behaviors such as smoking

Sociodemographic Determinants of Physical Activity and Sport Participation among Women in the United States

Regular physical activity and sport participation have been shown to improve women’s health; however, research has found that better health is associated with sport participation. Little is known about the sociodemographic determinants of physical activity among women, especially among the different subcategories of physical activity (sport, conditioning exercise, recreation, and household tasks). Because of the added health benefits associated with sport participation, the purpose of this study was to examine the sociodemographic determinants among subcategories of physically active women in the United States by analyzing Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. We used data from the 2017 national BRFSS survey to conduct this secondary data analysis. Participants were asked an extensive set of questions about their physical activity. Seventy-six different activities were identified and categorized as either sport, recreation, conditioning exercise, or household tasks. Weighted descriptive statistics were performed to describe the sociodemographic determinants of the four physical activity subcategories, including age, income, education, employment, and race/ethnicity. There were significant differences in all sociodemographic variables among the four subcategories of physical activity. Women who participated in sport were more likely to be in the younger age groups; however, physical activity declined among all subcategories beyond the age of 64. Women who participated in sports were more diverse, likely to be employed, and college graduates compared to the other subcategories. Women who participated in recreational or household tasks were more likely to meet the criteria to be categorized as highly active; however, they exercised at a lower intensity. The sociodemographic characteristics of physical activity and sport participation can be used to create promotional strategies to increase physical activity and improve fitness and health among women who tend towards participation, and also to change programs to accommodate women from other sociodemographic groups

Assessing Psychological Impact of COVID-19 among Parents of Children Returning to K-12 Schools: A U.S. Based Cross-Sectional Survey

Background and Purpose: While impacts of the pandemic on family well-being have been documented in the literature, little is known about the psychological challenges faced by children and their parents as schools reopen after mandated closures. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if sending children back to in-person school impacts the mental health of parents and the perceived mental health of their children. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study recruited a nationally representative, non-probability sample of parents or guardians (n = 2100) of children attending grades K-12 in the United States (U.S.) through a 58-item web-based survey. The univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical tests were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean scores of parental Coronavirus anxiety and Coronavirus obsession were significantly different between race/ethnic groups of parents. Parents with children going to private schools had significantly higher mean scores for Coronavirus anxiety and obsession compared to parents whose children are attending public schools. Nearly 55% of parental Coronavirus anxiety was explained by the generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, child’s vulnerability to infection, and school type of the child. Similarly, 52% of parental Coronavirus obsession was explained by the generalized anxiety, separation anxiety, child’s vulnerability to infection, and social phobia of the children. Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic has a substantial impact on psychological well-being of parents and their school-going children. Findings of this study will inform policy makers in developing targeted interventions to address unique needs of families with school-going children