Perception of neighborhood crime and drugs Increases cardiometabolic risk in Chilean adolescents

PURPOSE: Studies report an association between neighborhood risk and both obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors (CMR) among adolescents. Here we describe the effect of perceived neighborhood risk on adiposity and CMR among Chilean adolescents. METHODS: Participants were 523 low- to middle-income Chilean adolescents. We assessed neighborhood risk in early adolescence, adiposity in childhood and in early and later adolescence, and blood pressure and fasting glucose in later adolescence. Neighborhood risk profiles were estimated using latent profile analysis (LPA) and based on reported perceptions of crime and drug sales/use. Using linear and logistic regression, we examined the effect of neighborhood risk on adiposity and CMR. RESULTS: Mean age in early and later adolescence was 14 and 17 years, respectively. Participants were 52% male, with a mean BMI z-score of .67, and 8% met criteria for metabolic syndrome. LPA identified two neighborhood profiles: 61% low risk and 39% high risk. In later adolescence, being in the high risk profile predicted a higher BMI z-score, waist-to-height ratio, and fat mass index (p < .05). Adolescents in the high risk profile had three times greater odds of meeting criteria for metabolic syndrome (OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.5, 5.8) compared with those in the low risk profile. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that there are physiological responses to living in a neighborhood perceived as "risky," which may contribute to obesity and CMR even in adolescence. For Chilean neighborhoods with high crime and drugs, targeted public health interventions and policies for youth could be beneficial.This research was funded by R01HL088530 (NIH-NHLBI, PI: Gahagan); R01HD33487 (NIH-NICHD, PIs: Lozoff and Gahagan); R01DA021181 (NIH-NIDA, PI: Delva). The first author acknowledges D. Eastern Kang Sim for his support. All authors would like to thank the study participants for their on-going commitment to the project. (R01HL088530 - NIH-NHLBI; R01HD33487 - NIH-NICHD; R01DA021181 - NIH-NIDA

Mechanisms linking childhood weight status to metabolic risk in adolescence

BackgroundObesity is a risk factor for insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic disease.ObjectiveTo examine potential metabolic pathways linking childhood weight status to adolescent IR and metabolic risk.MethodsParticipants were 600 low‐ to middle‐income Chilean adolescents from a cohort studied since infancy as part of an iron deficiency anemia preventive trial and follow‐up study. We examined body mass index z‐score at 10 y (BMIz‐10y) and blood pressure, total fat, and fasting glucose, adiponectin to leptin ratio (A:L), ghrelin, and HOMA‐IR at 16 y. A total count for metabolic risk factors (MRF) was calculated using the International Diabetes Federation criteria. We used path analysis to estimate pathways and model indirect effects from BMIz‐10y, controlling for child age and sex and maternal body mass index (BMI).ResultsParticipants were 54% male; mean BMIz‐10y of 0.53 (SD = 1.02); mean MRF of 1.3 (SD = 0.9); mean HOMA‐IR of 1.8 (SD = 1.3). Path analysis showed that BMIz‐10y directly and indirectly related to increased MRF via A:L and HOMA‐IR. Ghrelin was not in the metabolic pathway from BMIz‐10y to MRF but was related to MRF via HOMA‐IR.ConclusionThese results elucidate metabolic pathways involving child weight status, IR and metabolic risk in adolescents. Childhood BMI was an indirect risk factor for adolescent cardiometabolic risk via several pathways that involved BMI, appetite hormones, markers of inflammation, and insulin resistance during adolescence. Findings illustrate the adverse effect that childhood obesity has on adolescent health outcomes, which sets precedence for health outcomes over the life course.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154250/1/pedi12972_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154250/2/pedi12972.pd

Low bone mineral density in a cohort of normal, overweight and obese Chilean adolescents

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88121/1/j.1365-2702.2011.03959.x.pd

Pathways from Food Insecurity to Health Outcomes among California University Students

The prevalence of food insecurity (FI) among college students is alarmingly high, yet the impact on student health has not been well investigated. The aim of the current study was to examine the simultaneous relationships between food insecurity and health-related outcomes including body mass index (BMI) and overall health in a college student population. Randomly sampled students in the University of California 10 campus system were invited to participate in an online survey in spring 2015. The analytic sample size was 8705 graduate and undergraduate students. Data were collected on FI in the past year, daily servings of fruits and vegetables (FV), number of days in the past week of enough sleep and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA), height and weight, self-rated health, and student characteristics. Using path analysis, mediated pathways between FI, BMI, and poor health were examined through FV intake, number of days of MVPA and enough sleep. Analyses controlled for student characteristics. Mean BMI was 23.6 kg/m2 (SD, 5.0), and average self-rated health was good. FI was directly and indirectly related to higher BMI and poor health through three pathways. First, FI was related to fewer days of enough sleep, which in turn was related to increased BMI and poor health. Second, FI was related to fewer days of MVPA, which in turn was related to increased BMI and poor health. Third, FI was related to fewer daily servings of FV, which in turn was related to poor health. FI is associated with poor health behaviors among college students, which may contribute to higher weight status and poor health. These findings highlight the importance of food security for a healthy college experience.University of California (UC) Office of the President's Global Food InitiativeOpen access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]

Parental feeding practices and child weight status in Mexican American families: a longitudinal analysis

Parental feeding practices are thought to influence children\u27s weight status, through children\u27s eating behavior and nutritional intake. However, because most studies have been cross-sectional, the direction of influence is unclear. Moreover, although obesity rates are high among Latino children, few studies of parental feeding practices have focused on this population. This 2-year longitudinal study examined mutual influences over time between parental feeding practices and children\u27s weight status, in Mexican American families with children 18 years old at baseline. Mothers (n = 322) and fathers (n = 182) reported on their feeding practices at baseline, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up. Weight status, defined by waist-height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI), was ascertained at all assessments. Cross-lagged panel models were used to examine the mutual influences of parental feeding practices and child weight status over time, controlling for covariates. Both mothers\u27 and fathers\u27 restriction of food predicted higher subsequent child weight status at Year 1, and for fathers this effect was also found at Year 2. Mothers\u27 and fathers\u27 pressure to eat predicted lower weight status among boys, but not girls, at Year 1. Child weight status also predicted some parental feeding practices: boys\u27 heavier weight predicted mothers\u27 less pressure to eat at Year 1, less use of food to control behavior at Year 2, and greater restriction at Year 2; and girls\u27 heavier weight at Year 1 predicted fathers\u27 less pressure to eat and less positive involvement in child eating at Year 2. This study provides longitudinal evidence that some parental feeding practices influence Mexican American children\u27s weight status, and that children\u27s weight status also influences some parental feeding practices. Feeding practices of both mothers and fathers were related to children\u27s weight status, underscoring the importance of including fathers in research on parental feeding practices and child obesity

Parental Feeding Practices and Child Weight Status in Mexican American Families: A Longitudinal Analysis

Parental feeding practices are thought to influence children\u27s weight status, through children\u27s eating behavior and nutritional intake. However, because most studies have been cross-sectional, the direction of influence is unclear. Moreover, although obesity rates are high among Latino children, few studies of parental feeding practices have focused on this population. This 2-year longitudinal study examined mutual influences over time between parental feeding practices and children\u27s weight status, in Mexican American families with children 18 years old at baseline. Mothers (n = 322) and fathers (n = 182) reported on their feeding practices at baseline, 1-year follow-up, and 2-year follow-up. Weight status, defined by waist-height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI), was ascertained at all assessments. Cross-lagged panel models were used to examine the mutual influences of parental feeding practices and child weight status over time, controlling for covariates. Both mothers\u27 and fathers\u27 restriction of food predicted higher subsequent child weight status at Year 1, and for fathers this effect was also found at Year 2. Mothers\u27 and fathers\u27 pressure to eat predicted lower weight status among boys, but not girls, at Year 1. Child weight status also predicted some parental feeding practices: boys\u27 heavier weight predicted mothers\u27 less pressure to eat at Year 1, less use of food to control behavior at Year 2, and greater restriction at Year 2; and girls\u27 heavier weight at Year 1 predicted fathers\u27 less pressure to eat and less positive involvement in child eating at Year 2. This study provides longitudinal evidence that some parental feeding practices influence Mexican American children\u27s weight status, and that children\u27s weight status also influences some parental feeding practices. Feeding practices of both mothers and fathers were related to children\u27s weight status, underscoring the importance of including fathers in research on parental feeding practices and child obesity

Mother-Reported Sleep, Accelerometer-Estimated Sleep, and Weight Status in Mexican American Children: Sleep Duration Is Associated with Increased Adiposity and Risk for Overweight/Obese Status

We know of no studies comparing parent-reported sleep with accelerometer-estimated sleep in their relation to pediatric adiposity. We examined: 1) the reliability of mother-reported sleep compared with accelerometer-estimated sleep, and 2) the relationship between both sleep measures and child adiposity. The current cross-sectional study included 304 Mexican American mother-child pairs recruited from Kaiser Permanente Northern California. We measured sleep duration, using maternal report and accelerometry, and child anthropometrics. Concordance between sleep measures was evaluated using the Bland-Altman method. We conducted zero-ordered correlations between mother-reported sleep, accelerometer-estimated sleep and child BMI z-scores (BMIz). Using linear regression, we examined three models to assess child BMIz with mother-reported sleep (model 1), accelerometer-estimated sleep (model 2), and both sleep measures (model 3). Children had an average age of 8.86 years (SD= .82). Mothers reported that their child slept 9.81 ± 0.74 (95% CI: 9.72, 9.89) hours, compared to 9.58 ± 0.71 (95% CI: 9.50, 9.66) hours based on accelerometry. Mother-reported sleep and accelerometer-estimated sleep were correlated (r = 0.33, p \u3c 0.001). BMIz outcomes were negatively associated with mother-reported sleep duration (model 1: β = −0.13; P = .02) and accelerometer-estimated sleep duration (model 2: β = −0.17; P \u3c .01). Accounting for both sleep measures, only accelerometer-measured sleep was related to BMIz (model 3: β = −0.14, P = .02). Each sleep measure was significantly related to adiposity, independent of covariates. Accelerometry appeared to be a more reliable measure of children’s sleep than maternal report, yet maternal report may be sufficient to examine the sleep-adiposity relationship when resources are limited

Longitudinal Effects of Parental, Child and Neighborhood Factors on Moderate-Vigorous Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Latino Children

Background: Moderate-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) confers beneficial effects on child musculoskeletal health, cardiovascular fitness, and psychosocial well-being; in contrast, sedentary time (%SED) is emerging as a risk factor for health. This study aimed to identify parental, child and neighborhood factors influencing longitudinal assessments of body mass index (BMI) and activity patterns among Latino children, and to estimate lagged and cross-lagged effects between child BMI, %MVPA and %SED. Methods: A longitudinal design with assessments at baseline, 1 and 2 years follow-up (FU) was used to evaluate the effects of maternal and paternal factors (BMI, age, education level, acculturation, household income and household size), child factors (gender, age, BMI, pubertal status) and neighborhood factors (disorder, victimization) on child BMI, %MVPA and %SED, expressed as a percent of awake time, in 282 Latino children ages 8–10 y and their parents. This study was restricted to families with a mother and biological father or father figure in the child’s life. Results: Across time, total daily accelerometer counts (p = 0.04) and steps decreased (p = 0.0001), %SED increased (p = 0.0001), and %MVPA decreased (p = 0.02). Moderate lagged effects or tracking was seen for %MVPA and %SED (p = 0.001). %MVPA varied by gender (5.5% higher in boys than girls, p = 0.0001); child age (−0.4% per year, p = 0.03), and child BMI in boys only (−0.22%, p = 0.0002). Negative effects of paternal age, maternal education and maternal changes in BMI on %MVPA also were seen. %SED increased with child age (2.5% higher per year, p = 0.0001). Positive effects of paternal acculturation, maternal change in BMI, paternal age, and negative effects of household size on %SED were observed. A cross-lagged positive effect of BMI at FU1 on %SED at FU2 was observed for boys and girls (p = 0.03). Neighborhood disorder and victimization were not significant predictors of child BMI, %MVPA or %SED. Conclusion: The major child determinants of physical activity (age, gender and BMI) and minor parental influences (maternal BMI and education, paternal age and acculturation) should be considered in designing interventions to promote %MVPA and reduce %SED among Latino children as they approach adolescence. Keywords: Physical activity patterns, Accelerometers, Childhood obesity, Maternal factors, Paternal factors, Education level, Acculturation, Household income, Household size, Environment, Disorder, Victimizatio

Vaccine breakthrough hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia in patients with auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs

Life-threatening `breakthrough' cases of critical COVID-19 are attributed to poor or waning antibody response to the SARS- CoV-2 vaccine in individuals already at risk. Pre-existing autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs underlie at least 15% of critical COVID-19 pneumonia cases in unvaccinated individuals; however, their contribution to hypoxemic breakthrough cases in vaccinated people remains unknown. Here, we studied a cohort of 48 individuals ( age 20-86 years) who received 2 doses of an mRNA vaccine and developed a breakthrough infection with hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia 2 weeks to 4 months later. Antibody levels to the vaccine, neutralization of the virus, and auto- Abs to type I IFNs were measured in the plasma. Forty-two individuals had no known deficiency of B cell immunity and a normal antibody response to the vaccine. Among them, ten (24%) had auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs (aged 43-86 years). Eight of these ten patients had auto-Abs neutralizing both IFN-a2 and IFN-., while two neutralized IFN-omega only. No patient neutralized IFN-ss. Seven neutralized 10 ng/mL of type I IFNs, and three 100 pg/mL only. Seven patients neutralized SARS-CoV-2 D614G and the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) efficiently, while one patient neutralized Delta slightly less efficiently. Two of the three patients neutralizing only 100 pg/mL of type I IFNs neutralized both D61G and Delta less efficiently. Despite two mRNA vaccine inoculations and the presence of circulating antibodies capable of neutralizing SARS-CoV-2, auto-Abs neutralizing type I IFNs may underlie a significant proportion of hypoxemic COVID-19 pneumonia cases, highlighting the importance of this particularly vulnerable population

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead