Parent Involvement in Diet or Physical Activity Interventions to Treat or Prevent Childhood Obesity: An Umbrella Review

Parents substantially influence children’s diet and physical activity behaviors, which consequently impact childhood obesity risk. Given this influence of parents, the objective of this umbrella review was to synthesize evidence on effects of parent involvement in diet and physical activity treatment and prevention interventions on obesity risk among children aged 3–12 years old. Ovid/MEDLINE, Elsevier/Embase, Wiley/Cochrane Library, Clarivate/Web of Science, EBSCO/CINAHL, EBSCO/PsycInfo, and Epistemonikos.org were searched from their inception through January 2020. Abstract screening, full-text review, quality assessment, and data extraction were conducted independently by at least two authors. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of diet and physical activity interventions that described parent involvement, included a comparator/control, and measured child weight/weight status as a primary outcome among children aged 3–12 years old were included. Data were extracted at the level of the systematic review/meta-analysis, and findings were narratively synthesized. Of 4158 references identified, 14 systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses (eight treatment focused and six prevention focused) were included and ranged in quality from very low to very high. Our findings support the inclusion of a parent component in both treatment and prevention interventions to improve child weight/weight status outcomes. Of note, all prevention-focused reviews included a school-based component. Evidence to define optimal parent involvement type and duration and to define the best methods of involving parents across multiple environments (e.g., home, preschool, school) was inadequate and warrants further research

Zinc intake, status and indices of cognitive function in adults and children: a systematic review and meta-analysis

In developing countries, deficiencies of micronutrients are thought to have a major impact on child development; however, a consensus on the specific relationship between dietary zinc intake and cognitive function remains elusive. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between zinc intake, status and indices of cognitive function in children and adults. A systematic literature search was conducted using EMBASE, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library databases from inception to March 2014. Included studies were those that supplied zinc as supplements or measured dietary zinc intake. A meta-analysis of the extracted data was performed where sufficient data were available. Of all of the potentially relevant papers, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria, 12 of which were randomised controlled trials (RCTs; 11 in children and 1 in adults) and 6 were observational studies (2 in children and 4 in adults). Nine of the 18 studies reported a positive association between zinc intake or status with one or more measure of cognitive function. Meta-analysis of data from the adult’s studies was not possible because of limited number of studies. A meta-analysis of data from the six RCTs conducted in children revealed that there was no significant overall effect of zinc intake on any indices of cognitive function: intelligence, standard mean difference of <0.001 (95% confidence interval (CI) –0.12, 0.13) P=0.95; executive function, standard mean difference of 0.08 (95% CI, –0.06, 022) P=0.26; and motor skills standard mean difference of 0.11 (95% CI –0.17, 0.39) P=0.43. Heterogeneity in the study designs was a major limitation, hence only a small number (n=6) of studies could be included in the meta-analyses. Meta-analysis failed to show a significant effect of zinc supplementation on cognitive functioning in children though, taken as a whole, there were some small indicators of improvement on aspects of executive function and motor development following supplementation but high-quality RCTs are necessary to investigate this further

Sociocultural Determinants of Teenage Childbearing Among Latinas in California

Objectives U.S. Latinas have a persistently high rate of teenage childbearing, which is associated with adverse outcomes for both mother and child. This study was designed to investigate the roles of socioeconomic factors and acculturation in teenage childbearing in this population. Methods Logistic regression was used to analyze the association of measures of acculturation (language spoken at home, nativity, and age at immigration) and respondents’ parents’ education with age at first birth in a stratified sample of post-partum women in California. Results The unadjusted odds ratio for teenage birth for Latinas versus non-Latina Whites was 5.2 (95% CI 4.1–6.6). Nativity was not significantly associated with teen birth, but speaking Spanish at home was positively associated and immigrating at a later age was negatively associated with teen birth. Overall, these measures of acculturation accounted for 17% (95% CI 8–28%) of the difference in odds of teen birth between Latinas and non-Latina Whites. Higher levels of education among respondents’ parents had differentially protective effects across the racial/ethnic groups. Controlling for disparities in respondents’ parents’ education without changing its differential effects across racial/ethnic groups reduced the odds ratio for Latinas compared to non-Latina Whites by 30% (95% CI 14–60%). Conclusion These findings call into question common assumptions about the protective effect of acculturation on teen fertility and suggest that improving childhood socioeconomic factors among Latinas may decrease teen childbearing

Regular breakfast and blood lead levels among preschool children

Background: Previous studies have shown that fasting increases lead absorption in the gastrointestinal tract of adults. Regular meals/snacks are recommended as a nutritional intervention for lead poisoning in children, but epidemiological evidence of links between fasting and blood lead levels (B-Pb) is rare. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between eating a regular breakfast and B-Pb among children using data from the China Jintan Child Cohort Study. Methods. Parents completed a questionnaire regarding children's breakfast-eating habit (regular or not), demographics, and food frequency. Whole blood samples were collected from 1,344 children for the measurements of B-Pb and micronutrients (iron, copper, zinc, calcium, and magnesium). B-Pb and other measures were compared between children with and without regular breakfast. Linear regression modeling was used to evaluate the association between regular breakfast and log-transformed B-Pb. The association between regular breakfast and risk of lead poisoning (B-Pb10 g/dL) was examined using logistic regression modeling. Results: Median B-Pb among children who ate breakfast regularly and those who did not eat breakfast regularly were 6.1 g/dL and 7.2 g/dL, respectively. Eating breakfast was also associated with greater zinc blood levels. Adjusting for other relevant factors, the linear regression model revealed that eating breakfast regularly was significantly associated with lower B-Pb (beta = -0.10 units of log-transformed B-Pb compared with children who did not eat breakfast regularly, p = 0.02). Conclusion: The present study provides some initial human data supporting the notion that eating a regular breakfast might reduce B-Pb in young children. To our knowledge, this is the first human study exploring the association between breakfast frequency and B-Pb in young children. © 2011 Liu et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Infant Day-Care, Attachment, and the “File Drawer Problem”

The research literature on infant day-care and attachment may be biased by the unavailability of “file drawer” studies, unpublished data showing no statistically significant effects. Replication studies, whether showing an effect or not, are essential to clarify the relation between day-care and attachment. This study of 105 12-month-olds is an attempt to replicate four similar studies summarized and combined by Belsky to show that infants in day-care are at risk for insecure attachment. In the present study, no results were robust enough to emerge consistently, although there was a trend for more negative attachment outcomes to be associated with little or part-time day-care rather than with full-time day-care. In general, the results suggest that the specific measures, definitions of full- and part-time, and statistical techniques used in studies examining the relation between day-care and attachment are likely to affect the outcome of such studies

Parenting Quality: Confirmation Of A Higher-Order Latent Construct With Mothers Of Head Start Children

We proposed a higher order latent construct of parenting young children, parenting quality. This higher-order latent construct comprises five component constructs: demographic protection, psychological distress, psychosocial maturity, moral and cognitive reflectivity, and parenting attitudes and beliefs. We evaluated this model with data provided by 199 mothers of 4-year-old children enrolled in Head Start. The model was confirmed with only one adjustment suggested by modification indices. Final RMSEA was .05, CFI .96, and NNFI .94, indicating good model fit. Results were interpreted as emphasizing the interdependence of psychological and environmental demands on parenting. Implications of the model for teachers, early interventionists, and public policy are discussed. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

DIFFERENCE IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY BETWEEN CHILDREN WITHOUT SIBLINGS AND WITH SIBLINGS

Chelsea L. SmithƗ1, Emily Gusemanǂ2, Laura Hubbs-Taitǂ3, Jennifer Graefǂ1, Sandra Arnoldǂ1, Allen Knehansǂ1, & Susan B. Sisson ǂ1, FACSM 1University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 2Ohio University, 3Oklahoma State University Children without siblings, singletons, have higher rates of obesity than children with siblings, non-singletons. Physical activity, such as increased moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and decreased sedentary behavior, can curb excess weight gain early in life. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in physical activity and sedentary behavior between singleton and non-singleton children. METHODS: Mothers of singleton children ages 5.0-7.9 years old and mothers of non-singleton children ages 5.0-7.9 years old with a sibling between the ages of 2.0-4.9 years old in their primary household were recruited. Height, weight, and waist circumference (WC) of child were objectively measured. Mothers reported demographic characteristics of the child and self, and completed a questionnaire on their physical activity. Children wore an accelerometer at the ankle for at least 5 full days while parents recorded daily activities and time spent in away from home care (such as child care or kindergarten). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated, and BMI and WC percentiles were calculated for age and sex. MVPA and sedentary behavior per hour were calculated using accelerometer cut points and total wear time. RESULTS: 40 mother-child dyads (8 singletons and 32 non-singletons) participated. On average mothers were 34.7 years old, employed full time (62%), married (80%), and the child’s biological mothers (97%); while children were 6.16 years old and predominantly white (75%). Singletons had a higher BMI percentile (74.9±19.2) and waist circumference percentile (73.2±19.8) compared to non-singletons (52.9±28.6, p=0.02; 52.8±21.3, p\u3c0.01). In individual models, singletons did not differ in time away from home care (p=0.60) or in their mother’s average MET minutes per week compared to non-singleton children (p=0.90). After adjusting for child BMI percentile and month of wear, singletons spent 3.03 less minutes per hour in MVPA (p\u3c0.01) and 3.98 more minutes per hour in sedentary behavior compared to non-singletons (p=0.01). CONCLUSION: In this sample, singletons had a higher BMI percentile and were less active compared to non-singletons. Investigation into differences in singleton/non-singleton families, including family health behaviors, may support understanding of the mechanism