Effect of a text intervention during pregnancy on birth weight in participants of the WIC program in Hawaii.

ObjectivesThere are limited studies testing the effect of a pregnancy educational intervention on infants’ birth weight. This study investigated the effect of a short message service (SMS), or text message, intervention for promoting adequate gestational weight gain on infants’ birth weight in a sample of pregnant women in Hawai‘i.MethodsA randomized clinical trial was conducted among women participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program in Hawai‘i (n = 83). The intervention group (n = 42) received weekly SMS about appropriate energy intake and physical activity and the control group (n = 41) received weekly SMS about general health issues for 4 months during pregnancy. Weight and length at birth were obtained from the participant's chart in WIC and compared between groups. Birthweight was categorized as small (SGA), appropriate (AGA) or large (LGA) for gestational age.ResultsWomen were age 27.7 ± 5.3y on average, 65.5% were Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander or American Indian, 54.8% had some college or more and 37.8% were employed. Infant birth weight was similar in the intervention (3431 ± 682 g) and control groups (3232 ± 599 g; P > 0.05). Mothers in the control group had higher odds of having a SGA baby (OR: 2.21; 95% CI 0.40, 12.2) but similar risk of having a LGA baby (0.27; 95% CI 0.07, 1.05) compared to the intervention group. After adjusting for mothers’ age, education level and employment status, results were similar for SGA (OR: 2.34; 95% CI 0.43, 14.7) and LGA (OR: 0.35; 95% CI 0.08, 1.49).ConclusionsThere was no significant difference in birth weight between groups in mothers from the WIC program in Hawai‘i. More intensive educational interventions may be needed to observe an impact on birth weight

Effect of a short message service intervention on excessive gestational weight gain in a low-income population: a randomized controlled trial

Objectives: The objective of this trial was to investigate the effect of educational short message service (SMS), or text messages, on excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) in a low-income, predominantly overweight/obese population. Methods: Participants (n = 83) were mostly overweight/obese women recruited at Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics on the island of O’ahu, Hawai’i at 15–20 weeks gestational age. The intervention group received SMS on nutrition and physical activity during pregnancy designed to help them meet Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines for GWG and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines for exercise, respectively. The control group received SMS about general health topics during pregnancy, excluding nutrition and physical activity. Both groups received one text message per week for eighteen weeks. GWG was defined as the difference between the last self-reported weight taken before delivery and participants’ self-reported weight before pregnancy. Differences between study groups were examined using t-tests and Chi-square tests. Linear regression models were used to examine association of GWG with study group and other factors. Results: GWG was similar (p = 0.58) in the control group (14.1 ± 11.4 kg) and the intervention group (15.5 ± 11.6 kg). The percentage of participants exceeding IOM guidelines for GWG was similar (p = 0.51) in the control group (50.0%, n = 17) and the intervention group (60.5%, n = 23). Conclusions: GWG was not significantly different between intervention and control groups. Trials that begin earlier in pregnancy or before pregnancy with longer intervention durations and varying message frequency as well as personalized or interactive messages may be needed to produce significant improvements

Associations between gestational weight gain and rate of infancy weight gain in Hawaii and Puerto Rico WIC participants.

Background Excessive gestational weight gain and rapid infancy weight gain (RIWG) are associated with increased susceptibility to childhood obesity. Since low-income and minority children are particularly at risk, investigation of the associations between gestational weight gain and rate of infancy weight gain may inform childhood obesity prevention. This study investigated the associations between gestational weight gain and rate of infancy weight gain during the first four to six months postpartum in participants from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) in Hawai‘i and Puerto Rico. Methods This was a cross-sectional secondary data analysis from a text message-based intervention in WIC participants in Hawai‘i and Puerto Rico. The analysis included 80 mother/infant pairs from the control group who completed the follow-up visit when infants were four to six months old. Maternal weight, height, and gestational weight gain were self-reported. Infant weight was measured at baseline and follow-up. A proportional odds model was used to investigate the association between gestational weight gain and infancy weight gain rate (rapid or extremely rapid, on-track, or slow), adjusting for maternal age, pregravid body mass index (BMI) status, parity, and being up-to-date with infant vaccinations. Results In comparison to recommended gestational weight gain, excessive and inadequate (under the recommended amount) gestational weight gain was associated with 77% decreased (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.08, 0.70; p = 0.01) and 71% decreased (AOR = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.09, 0.94; p = 0.04) odds of RIWG versus on-track or slow infant weight gain, respectively. In comparison to women with one child, women with two children (AOR = 0.31; 95% CI = 0.11, 0.87; p = 0.03) or three or four children (AOR = 0.24; 95% CI = 0.07, 0.88; p = 0.03) had significantly lower odds of RIWG versus on-track or slow infancy weight gain. Conclusions Women with excessive or inadequate gestational weight gain had lower proportional odds of RIWG and were more likely to have slower infant weight gain than women who gained the recommended amount of weigh

Self-consistent relativistic band structure of the CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite

The electronic structure and properties of the orthorhombic phase of the CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 perovskite are computed with density functional theory. The structure, optimized using a van der Waals functional, reproduces closely the unit cell volume. The experimental band gap is reproduced accurately by combining spin-orbit effects and a hybrid functional in which the fraction of exact exchange is tuned self-consistently to the optical dielectric constant. Including spin-orbit coupling strongly reduces the anisotropy of the effective mass tensor, predicting a low electron effective mass in all crystal directions. The computed binding energy of the unrelaxed exciton agrees with experimental data, and the values found imply a fast exciton dissociation at ambient temperature. Also polaron masses for the separated carriers are estimated. The values of all these parameters agree with recent indications that fast dynamics and large carrier diffusion lengths are key in the high photovoltaic efficiencies shown by these materials

Amount, preparation and type of formula consumed and its association with weight gain in infants participating in the WIC Program in Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

The aim of this study was to assess the association between amount (below or above recommendations), preparation (liquid vs. powder), and type (regular vs. hydrolysate) of infant formula consumed and weight in infants participating in the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program in Hawaii (HI) and Puerto Rico (PR). This was a secondary analysis of 162 caregivers with healthy term 0-2-month-old infants. Socio-demographics, infant food frequency questionnaires, and weight and length were assessed at baseline and after four months. Infant feeding practices were associated with weight-for-length z-scores using multivariable logistic regression. In total, 37.7% were exclusively breastfed and 27.2% were exclusively formula-fed. Among formula users, regular (63.6%) and powder (87.0%) formula were the most common; 43.2% consumed formula above recommendations. Most infants had rapid weight gain (61.1%). Infants fed regular formula had higher odds of overweight after four months (adjusted OR = 8.77, 95% CI: 1.81-42.6) and higher odds of rapid weight gain (adjusted OR = 3.10, 95% CI: 1.12, 8.61). Those exclusively formula fed had higher odds of slow weight gain (adjusted OR = 4.07, 95% CI: 1.17-14.2). Formula preparation and amount of formula were not associated with weight. These results could inform the WIC program's nutrition education messages on infant feeding. Studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these results

Acceptability of a text message-based intervention for obesity prevention in infants from Hawaii and Puerto Rico WIC.

Background: Low-income and minority children are at increased risk for obesity. Text messaging offers advantages for delivering education, but few studies have assessed the acceptability of text messaging in interventions aimed at preventing excessive weight gain in infants. This study investigated the acceptability of a text message-based intervention for prevention of excessive weight gain in infants from Hawai'i and Puerto Rico WIC clinics. Methods: The four-month text message based intervention designed to improve infant feeding practices and reduce excessive weight gain was a randomized controlled trial that included mothers with infants ages 0-2 months at baseline. Participants in the intervention arm received 18 text messages (1/week) promoting breastfeeding and appropriate complementary feeding. Acceptability of the intervention was assessed from participant retention, satisfaction, and evidence of behavior change in a sequential multimethod approach, quantitatively from questions sent via text and qualitatively during the in-person exit interview. The final analysis included 80 mother-infant pairs from the intervention arm. Results: When asked about messages liked and disliked the most, the majority of responses via text indicated that they liked all messages. From the qualitative analyses, most participants reported that all messages were useful and that the messages led them to make changes in the way they fed their infants. Participant retention was good at 78.4%. Conclusions: The intervention was acceptable to participants based upon participant retention, measures of satisfaction, and reports of behavior change. Results may inform development of mobile health programs for minority childhood obesity prevention

Breastfeeding discontinuation not associated with maternal pregravid BMI but associated with Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander race in Hawaii and Puerto Rico WIC participants

Objectives This study investigated the association between maternal pregravid body mass index (BMI) and breastfeeding discontinuation at 4-6 months postpartum in Hawaii and Puerto Rico participants from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Methods A secondary data analysis was conducted from a text message-based intervention in WIC participants in Hawaii and Puerto Rico. The analysis included 87 women from the control group who initiated breastfeeding and whose breastfeeding status was known at the end of the study when infants were 4-6 months old. Pregravid BMI and breastfeeding discontinuation were assessed using questionnaires. Results The association between pregravid BMI and breastfeeding discontinuation was not significant in the unadjusted model or in the adjusted model. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) participants showed significantly increased odds of discontinuing breastfeeding (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 7.12; 95% CI 1.34, 37.97; p = .02) compared to all the other racial/ethnic participants, as did older women ages 32-39 years versus women who were 25-31 years old (AOR 4.21; 95% CI 1.13, 15.72; p = .03). Women who took vitamins while breastfeeding had decreased odds of discontinuing breastfeeding (AOR 0.15; 95% CI 0.05, 0.46; p = .0009). Conclusions for Practice Pregravid BMI was not significantly associated with breastfeeding discontinuation at 4-6 months postpartum in women from Hawaii and Puerto Rico WIC, but NHOPIs and women who were older had higher odds of discontinuing breastfeeding. The results of this study may inform strategies for breastfeeding promotion and childhood obesity prevention but should be further investigated in larger studies. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02903186

Effect of a multi-site trial using short message service (SMS) on infant feeding practices and weight gain in low-income minorities.

Objective: To test the effects of weekly SMS for improving infant feeding practices and infant weight. Methods: This was a multi-site randomized clinical trial in a convenience sample of 202 caregivers of healthy term infants 0–2 months participating in the WIC program in Puerto Rico and Hawaii. Participants were randomized to receive SMS about infant's general health issues (control) or SMS for improving feeding practices (intervention) for four months. Weight, length and infant feeding practices were assessed at baseline and four months later. Results: A total of 170 participants completed the study (n = 86 control and n = 84 intervention). Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. At the end, exclusive breastfeeding rates were similar between groups (67.4% control and 59.1% intervention). Introduction of other foods and beverages, addition of foods to the bottle, placing infants to sleep with milk bottles, caregiver's method and response to feeding infants and distractions while feeding infants were similar between groups. Also, weight status or rate of weight gain was similar between groups. Conclusion: There were no significant improvements in feeding practices or in weight with the intervention. The timeline of the messages in relation to the targeted behavior may have affected the effectiveness of the intervention. Earlier dissemination of messages, higher level of intensity, longer intervention, additional contacts and inclusion of other caregivers may be needed to achieve the desired effects

Electronic band alignment at CuGaS2 chalcopyrite interfaces

Cu-chalcopyrite semiconductors are commonly used as light absorbing materials on solar cell devices. The study of the heterointerfaces between the absorbent and the contact materials is crucial to understand their operation. In this study, band alignments of the heterojunctions between CuGaS2 chalcopyrite and different semiconductors have been theoretically obtained using density functional theory and more advanced techniques. Band alignments have been determined using the average electrostatic potential as reference level. We have found that the strain in the heterointerfaces plays an important role in the electronic properties of the semiconductors employed here. In this work CuAlSe2/CuGaS2 and CuGaS2/ZnSe heterointerfaces show band alignments where holes and electrons are selectively transferred through the respective heterojunctions to the external contacts. This condition is necessary for their application on photovoltaic devices

Single-channel transmission in gold one-atom contacts and chains

We induce superconductivity by proximity effect in thin layers of gold and study the number of conduction channels which contribute to the current in one-atom contacts and atomic wires. The atomic contacts and wires are fabricated with a Scanning Tunneling Microscope. The set of transmission probabilities of the conduction channels is obtained from the analysis of the $I(V)$ characteristic curve which is highly non-linear due to multiple Andreev reflections. In agreement with theoretical calculations we find that there is only one channel which is almost completely open.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. To be published in Phys. Rev. B, Rapid Communications (2003