Primary Prevention of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Large-for-Gestational-Age Newborns by Lifestyle Counseling: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

In a cluster-randomized trial, Riitta Luoto and colleagues find that counseling on diet and activity can reduce the birthweight of babies born to women at risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), but fail to find an effect on GDM

Genome-wide meta-analysis of 241,258 adults accounting for smoking behaviour identifies novel loci for obesity traits

Few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) account for environmental exposures, like smoking, potentially impacting the overall trait variance when investigating the genetic contribution to obesity-related traits. Here, we use GWAS data from 51,080 current smokers and 190,178 nonsmokers (87% European descent) to identify loci influencing BMI and central adiposity, measured as waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio both adjusted for BMI. We identify 23 novel genetic loci, and 9 loci with convincing evidence of gene-smoking interaction (GxSMK) on obesity-related traits. We show consistent direction of effect for all identified loci and significance for 18 novel and for 5 interaction loci in an independent study sample. These loci highlight novel biological functions, including response to oxidative stress, addictive behaviour, and regulatory functions emphasizing the importance of accounting for environment in genetic analyses. Our results suggest that tobacco smoking may alter the genetic susceptibility to overall adiposity and body fat distribution.Peer reviewe

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Torstai on toiveita täynnä : lasten osallisuuden vahvistaminen päiväkoti Muksuteekin toiminnassa

Opinnäytetyöni on työelämän kehittämistehtävä, joka kiinnittyy Lapsen hyvä arki-hankkeeseen, jonka yhtenä tavoitteena on asiakkaan osallisuuden vahvistaminen eri aloilla. Lapsen hyvä arki- hankkeen toimialueeseen kuuluu mm, Peruspalvelukuntayhtymä Selänteen alue, josta löytyi opinnäytetyöni yhteistyökumppaniksi Pyhäjärven kaupungin päiväkoti Muksuteekki. Opinnäytetyön tutkimuksellisena menetelmänä on sovellettu osallistavaa ja kommunikatiivista toimintatutkimusta. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli lasten osallisuuden vahvistaminen päiväkoti Muksuteekin toiminnan suunnittelussa, ja tavoitteena oli kehittää lapsen osallisuutta vahvistavia menetelmiä arjen työkaluiksi. Lasten osallisuutta vahvistavina menetelminä käytettiin sadutusta ja Toiveiden torstai-foorumia. Tutkimusaineistona oli systemaattinen kirjallisuuskatsaus, työkokousten muistiinpanot, tutkijan ja työyhteisön tekemät muistiot sekä ryhmähaastattelu. Aineistot on käsitelty sisällönanalyysia käyttäen. Tutkimustulosten mukaan sadutus ja Toiveiden torstai-foorumi vahvistivat lapsen osallisuutta päiväkodin toiminnassa ja toiminnan suunnittelussa. Menetelmien koettiin sopivan käytettäväksi päiväkodissa. Tulosten mukaan työyhteisölähtöisesti toteutettu kehittämisprosessi edisti työn kehittämistä ja omaa oppimista. Oma aktiivinen toimijuus kehittämisprosessin eri vaiheissa koettiin tärkeäksi työn kehittämisen kannalta. Tämän tyyppisen kehittämisprosessin koettiin sopivan hyvin päiväkotiin. Kehittämistehtävän avulla Muksuteekkiin kehittyi uusia työkaluja lasten osallisuuden vahvistamiseksi. Työmenetelmien käyttöönotto vahvisti aikuisen arvosidonnaista suhtautumista lapsen osallisuuteen. Arvosidonnainen suhtautuminen lapsen osallisuuteen mahdollistaa lasten osallisuuden vahvistumisen entisestään päiväkoti Muksuteekissa.My study is a working life development task. It is part of the Lapsen hyvä arki -project that aims at enhancing client participation in different fields of social and health care. The study is done in co-operation with day-care center Muksuteekki, which is a day-care center in municipality of Pyhäjärvi. Pyhäjärvi is included in the Selänne joint municipality, which is one of the areas where the Lapsen hyvä arki –project is carried out. The research methods applied in this study are participatory and communicative action research. The aim of this study was to make the children more participated in planning the activities of day- care center Muksuteekki, and to develop methods that could be used as tools to enhance children participation in the everyday life of the day-care center. The methods of enhancing children´s participation that were used in this particular study were storycrafting and a forum called Thursday’s wishes. The research data consisted of literature review, the memos from staff meetings, the memos done by the researcher as well as the staff of the day-care center, and the information gained through a group interview. The data was analysed with content analysis. The results of this study show that storycrafting and Thursday’s wishes –forum enhanced children´s participation in the everyday life and planning of activities at the day-care center. The methods were considered suitable for the day-care center. According to the results, a development process that is carried out in a work community centered way enhanced the development of the working life as well as the staff. As regards the development of the work, the staff considered it important to be able to actively participate in the phases of the development process. It was also agreed that this type of a development process is very suitable for a day-care center. This development project produced new methods for participating children in day-care center Muksuteekki. Applying the methods also increased the appreciation of children´s participation among the adults, which makes it possible for children´s participation to continue to increase at day-care center Muksuteekki

LASTEN INTERNETIN KÄYTÖN VAIKUTUS LEIKKIIN : Varhaiskasvatusikäisten lasten internetin käytön vaikutus leikkiin varhaiskasvattajien näkökulmasta

Internet on olennainen osa 2010-luvun varhaiskasvatusikäisten lasten elämää. Nykyajan lapset ovat syntyneet keskelle internetin ympäröimää yhteiskuntaa, joten heitä voidaan kutsua diginatiiveiksi. Aikuiset sen sijaan ovat digimuukalaisia, sillä he ovat jäämässä lapsista jälkeen mediateknologisissa taidoissa. Selvitimme kvalitatiivisessa tutkimuksessamme, vaikuttaako lasten internetin käyttö varhaiskasvatusyksiköiden arkeen ja onko lasten leikeissä nähtävissä vaikutuksia internetin käytöstä. Tutkimme myös, mikä on mediakasvatuksen osuus varhaiskasvatusyksiköissä ja miten mediakasvatusta toteutetaan. Suoritimme teemahaastattelut kuudelle lastentarhanopettajalle Keski-Pohjanmaan alueella kesällä 2015. Tavoitteemme oli saavuttaa lastentarhanopettajien seikkaperäisiä kokemuksia ja mielipiteitä varhaiskasvatuksessa olevien lasten internetin käytön vaikutuksista lasten elämään. Internetin vaikutukset lasten leikkiin oli ensisijainen tutkimuskysymyksemme. Tutkimustulokset osoittivat meille, että lastentarhanopettajien näkemysten mukaan lapset käyttivät internetiä paljon kotonaan ja vapaa-ajallaan. Varhaiskasvatusyksiköissä internetiä sen sijaan ei käytetty, sillä medialaitteita ei varhaiskasvatusyksiköissä ollut. Haastateltujen mielestä lasten sosiaalistuminen ja iloinen yhdessä olo kavereiden kanssa oli tärkeä varhaiskasvatuksen päämäärä. Mediakasvatus erilaisilla laitteilla koettiin kilpailevaksi toiminnaksi iloiselle yhdessä ololle, joten sitä ei tietoisesti toteutettu. Haastattelutilanteet avasivat lastentarhanopettajien silmiä tietoisen mediakasvatuksen ja leikin havainnoinnin suhteen.The Internet is an essential part of the life of the children under school age. Children under school age were born into modern society surrounded by the digital media, so they can be called as digital natives. Adults can be called as digital strangers, because they are about to fall behind in the digital media skills. The subject of this qualitative research was children´s use of the Internet and the effects of the Internet on children´s lives. Moreover, the aim was to study the media education given at the day care centres. Altogether six kindergarten teachers around the central Ostrobothnia were interviewed in the summer 2015. The aim was to find out about the kindergarten teachers´ experiences and opinions children´s Internet usage. Especially the focus was on the influence of the Internet on children´s play. The results of the research showed that children use the Internet very much. They use Internet at home but not in day care centres because there are no media devices. The kindergarten teachers also think that children’s socialization and spending time with their peers in a positive atmosphere are more important than the Internet usage. The research awakened the kindergarten teachers to think about more the influences of the Internet on children´s play and also the importance of the media education

Genome-wide meta-analysis of 241,258 adults accounting for smoking behaviour identifies novel loci for obesity traits

Few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) account for environmental exposures, like smoking, potentially impacting the overall trait variance when investigating the genetic contribution to obesity-related traits. Here, we use GWAS data from 51,080 current smokers and 190,178 nonsmokers (87% European descent) to identify loci influencing BMI and central adiposity, measured as waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio both adjusted for BMI. We identify 23 novel genetic loci, and 9 loci with convincing evidence of gene-smoking interaction (GxSMK) on obesity-related traits. We show consistent direction of effect for all identified loci and significance for 18 novel and for 5 interaction loci in an independent study sample. These loci highlight novel biological functions, including response to oxidative stress, addictive behaviour, and regulatory functions emphasizing the importance of accounting for environment in genetic analyses. Our results suggest that tobacco smoking may alter the genetic susceptibility to overall adiposity and body fat distribution

Genome-wide meta-analysis of 241,258 adults accounting for smoking behaviour identifies novel loci for obesity traits

Few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) account for environmental exposures, like smoking, potentially impacting the overall trait variance when investigating the genetic contribution to obesity-related traits. Here, we use GWAS data from 51,080 current smokers and 190,178 nonsmokers (87% European descent) to identify loci influencing BMI and central adiposity, measured as waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio both adjusted for BMI. We identify 23 novel genetic loci, and 9 loci with convincing evidence of gene-smoking interaction (GxSMK) on obesity-related traits. We show consistent direction of effect for all identified loci and significance for 18 novel and for 5 interaction loci in an independent study sample. These loci highlight novel biological functions, including response to oxidative stress, addictive behaviour, and regulatory functions emphasizing the importance of accounting for environment in genetic analyses. Our results suggest that tobacco smoking may alter the genetic susceptibility to overall adiposity and body fat distribution

Genome-wide physical activity interactions in adiposity:a meta-analysis of 200,452 adults

Abstract Physical activity (PA) may modify the genetic effects that give rise to increased risk of obesity. To identify adiposity loci whose effects are modified by PA, we performed genome-wide interaction meta-analyses of BMI and BMI-adjusted waist circumference and waist-hip ratio from up to 200,452 adults of European (n = 180,423) or other ancestry (n = 20,029). We standardized PA by categorizing it into a dichotomous variable where, on average, 23% of participants were categorized as inactive and 77% as physically active. While we replicate the interaction with PA for the strongest known obesity-risk locus in the FTO gene, of which the effect is attenuated by ~30% in physically active individuals compared to inactive individuals, we do not identify additional loci that are sensitive to PA. In additional genome-wide meta-analyses adjusting for PA and interaction with PA, we identify 11 novel adiposity loci, suggesting that accounting for PA or other environmental factors that contribute to variation in adiposity may facilitate gene discovery

Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology

Note: A full list of authors and affiliations appears at the end of the article. Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P 20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.</p