The infant feeding activity and nutrition trial (INFANT) an early intervention to prevent childhood obesity : cluster-randomised controlled trial

Background : Multiple factors combine to support a compelling case for interventions that target the development of obesity-promoting behaviours (poor diet, low physical activity and high sedentary behaviour) from their inception. These factors include the rapidly increasing prevalence of fatness throughout childhood, the instigation of obesity-promoting behaviours in infancy, and the tracking of these behaviours from childhood through to adolescence and adulthood. The Infant Feeding Activity and Nutrition Trial (INFANT) aims to determine the effectiveness of an early childhood obesity prevention intervention delivered to first-time parents. The intervention, conducted with parents over the infant\u27s first 18 months of life, will use existing social networks (first-time parent\u27s groups) and an anticipatory guidance framework focusing on parenting skills which support the development of positive diet and physical activity behaviours, and reduced sedentary behaviours in infancy.Methods/Design : This cluster-randomised controlled trial, with first-time parent groups as the unit of randomisation, will be conducted with a sample of 600 first-time parents and their newborn children who attend the first-time parents\u27 group at Maternal and Child Health Centres. Using a two-stage sampling process, local government areas in Victoria, Australia will be randomly selected at the first stage. At the second stage, a proportional sample of first-time parent groups within selected local government areas will be randomly selected and invited to participate. Informed consent will be obtained and groups will then be randomly allocated to the intervention or control group.Discussion : The early years hold promise as a time in which obesity prevention may be most effective. To our knowledge this will be the first randomised trial internationally to demonstrate whether an early health promotion program delivered to first-time parents in their existing social groups promotes healthy eating, physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviours. If proven to be effective, INFANT may protect children from the development of obesity and its associated social and economic costs.<br /

Reassessing Putin's Russia: Russia's Perspective

A discussion with Dr. Nicholas Eberstadt, David Satter, and Dr. Roger Reese at the Scowcroft Institute’s conference, “Reassessing Putin’s Russia: Tsarist Dinosaur, Failed State, or 21st Century Predator?,” on November 3, 2014.Scowcroft Institute of International Affair

The Impact of Different Family Configurations on Delinquency

How do outcomes of boys who had experienced family disruption before age 12 compare with those from intact families? This paper is based on a sample of 21,314 Swiss male recruits who completed a cross-sectional survey at age 20. As in the Cambridge study, disrupted families predicted offending. However, intact high conflict families predicted the same prevalence of offending as disrupted families. Boys not living with their mother, especially when they had lived in institutions before age 12 were most likely to become persistent offenders. Therefore the dichotomy of disrupted versus intact family hides many important subgroups, including those living with their mother (low risk) and those who had experienced institutional rearing (high risk)

Animal Diet Modification to Decrease the Potential for Nitrogen and Phosphorus Pollution

In 1996, the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) published a report entitled Integrated Animal Waste Management. One of the recommendations in that report was to “change animal diets to decrease nutrient outputs” (CAST 1996, 1). Since that time, concentration of animal production units has continued, public concern about the environmental effects of animal manure has increased, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed more restrictive requirements for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO regulations). Progress has been made since 1996 to decrease nutrient outputs by animals through diet modification and nutrition. The current study describes the existing technological advancements, the decrease in nutrient outputs possible, the degree of acceptance by poultry and livestock producers, and the potential for further technological advancements. This study focuses on two nutrients and addresses two environmental concerns. The nutrients are nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Nitrogen is a part of amino acids (AAs) that form proteins required by all animals; animals consume protein and AAs and then excrete various forms of N. Phosphorus is a mineral nutrient required for bone growth and many important bodily functions. But these nutrients, if directly discharged into surface water in runoff or deposited in water from aerial emissions, can cause significant water pollution. The first environmental concern is the volatilization of N in the form of ammonia (NH3) from animal manures. Volatilized ammonia returns to the land or water via rainfall, dry precipitation, or direct absorption. Volatilized ammonia also can contribute to odor problems. Although ammonia may be beneficial as a fertilizer for agricultural fields, it may not be beneficial in other ecosystems. Manure in the form of a slurry when injected into the soil will have minimal losses of ammonia. The higher the N content of the manure, the greater the risk of ammonia loss. For example, most beef cattle are produced in open feedlots. Ammonia losses can represent as much as 70% of the N excreted by those cattle. The second environmental concern is manure nutrient distribution. Manure is an excellent fertilizer for crop production. If manure nutrients are applied at rates equivalent to plant needs, then environmental impacts are minimal. If manure is applied at higher rates, however, N can leach into groundwater and P can build up in the soil and contaminate the surface water, harming the environment. As livestock and poultry units have increased in size, it has become more expensive to return manure to the cropland where the feed for the animals originated. The manure distribution problem can be local, regional, national, or even international. For example, approximately one-half of the corn grown in Nebraska is exported to other states or to foreign countries. Although there are many cattle feedlots in Nebraska, there is more than enough land on which to spread manure. Conversely, if midwestern corn is exported to Texas for cattle production, to North Carolina for swine production, or to Delaware for broiler production, it is difficult to return the nutrients to the land where the crops originated. Decreasing the N and P excreted by poultry, swine, or cattle can minimize these two concerns. In the past, there has been little pressure to decrease excretion, so livestock and poultry producers have typically overfed protein (N) and P. Researchers have made key advances in this field during the past decade. Source reduction is the logical starting point to lessen the environmental impact. Significant changes are occurring, but more can be accomplished