Is It Time to Do More Homework on the Impact of Childhood Obesity on Academic Achievement?

Purpose: To provide commentary on the research article “Impact of Pediatric Obesity on Grades in Elementary School,” by Craig A. Johnston, Jennette P. Moreno, Sandra A. Stansberry, and Deborah Woehler . Findings: In this cross-sectional study the authors examine the association between weight status and math, science and reading grades among 798 2nd grade children in Texas. The authors show that academic performance, specifically math grades are lower in obese students compared to normal weight students. Finally, the authors propose several physiological and psychological mechanisms including the potential for teacher bias and lower expectations from children who are obese. Conclusion: While there are a few studies that have evaluated the relationship between weight status and academic performance in children, the mechanisms behind this relationship remains unclear. This research article raises several questions for the future including the need for understanding the psychosocial factors including the potential for teacher bias with respect to academic expectations from children based on their weight status. Given the high prevalence of childhood obesity, we need to clearly understand the mediators and moderators and the pathways of this relationship between obesity and academic achievement. Lower academic achievement through formal education can have significant economic ramifications in the years to come. We have to find these stop gaps, strengthen the systems for not just obesity prevention but also sensitivity against discrimination by weight status, and break the cycle to maximize the intellectual potential in our children

Understanding Eating Behaviors of New Dehli\u27s Youth

This qualitative study documents perceived benefits of and barriers to engaging in healthy eating behaviors among adolescents in New Delhi, India. Researchers explored factors that influenced the consumption of breakfast, fruits and vegetables, and soft drinks in this population and adolescents’ ideas about how to intervene to encourage or discourage, respectively, these behaviors. Students (n=151 6th and 8th graders) from five private schools participated in focus group discussions. Findings showed that the majority of youth eat breakfast that may consist of traditional and Western choices. Despite sound knowledge of the benefits of fruits and vegetables consumption, adolescents do not eat the recommended daily servings due to flavor preferences. Soft drink consumption was, reportedly, universal. Several factors influenced these decisions and details are herein provided. The paucity of studies on this subject provides researchers with the opportunity to explore how eating patterns of Indian youth might be shaping the health and disease landscape of India in the upcoming decades. The study adds to the slim body of literature on the subject and could be used to inform future nutrition interventions in India

Sociodemographic factors associated with attendance to Brighter Bites, a school-based food co-op nutrition intervention for low-income families

Participants: The analytic sample included 6,796 participants from five of the six cities in which Brighter Bites was implemented (Houston, Austin, Dallas, Washington, D.C., and Southwest Florida). Main Outcome Measures: Predictor variables included child’s grade, gender, race/ethnicity, parent employment, and government assistance utilization. Outcome variable was a binary measure of attendance: 1=attendance at or above the threshold or 0=attendance below the threshold, where the threshold was operationalized as attending 75% of the distributions. Analysis: A multi-level logistic regression and bivariate analysis were completed to measure the association between attendance and predictor variables. Results: Results show, compared to Hispanics, Whites were 39% and African Americans 53% less likely to attend at the threshold. Also, families who received SNAP benefits were 33% less likely to attend and families with homemakers had 1.68 greater odds of attending. Conclusions and Implications Identifying predictors of program attendance can inform future equitable implementation and dissemination strategies. Findings indicate race/ethnicity, parent employment and receipt of certain government assistance have significant associations with attending Brighter Bites

Multidisciplinary approaches to address food insecurity and nutrition among youth and their families

Our aim in publishing this issue of JARC on nutrition and food insecurity is to understand the factors associated with nutrition and food insecurity in the U.S. and around the world; to elucidate the potential consequences of food insecurity on physical and mental health; and to raise awareness and identify solutions to address this complex issue. We also aim to encourage collaboration across disciplines in order to frame initiatives that reduce these threats to child health, well-being and success

Evaluation of the Kitchen Microbiome and Food Safety Behaviors of Predominantly Low-income Families

Bacterial pathogens in the domestic environment present a risk to residents, particularly among susceptible populations. However, the impact of consumer demographic characteristics and food handling methods on kitchen microbiomes is not fully understood. The domestic kitchen bacterial communities of ten predominantly low-income families in Houston, TX, were assessed in conjunction with a cross-sectional food safety survey to evaluate differences in household and surface-specific microbiomes and bacterial foodborne pathogen presence. Three kitchen surfaces within each household, including the sink drain, the refrigerator handle, and the counter, were environmentally sampled and metataxonomically evaluated via targeted 16S rRNA sequencing. Disposable dish sponges were also acquired and examined. Results indicated that alpha diversity did not vary by the households, sampling locations, or demographic characteristics evaluated. Significant differences in beta diversity were observed among the bacterial communities of five pairs of households and between refrigerator handle and disposable dish sponge microbiomes. A total of 89 unique bacterial foodborne pathogens were identified across surface types. Each household contained at least one contaminated surface, and the most common bacterial foodborne pathogens identified wer

The influence of “westernization” on nutrition and physical activity behaviors of adolescents in New Delhi, India: Are we exporting an epidemic of obesity?

Purpose. To examine the relationships between “westernization” and nutrition and physical activity behaviors among older adolescents in Delhi, India. These relations have not been explored, despite increasingly strong and pervasive socio-cultural influences from the West. Methods. Students (n=1818) in 8th and 10th grades in 4 Private (higher SES) and 4 Government (lower SES) schools in Delhi, India participated in a cross-sectional study. Height and weight were measured to determine weight status. Information on “westernization” and nutrition, physical activity, sedentary, and dieting behaviors was collected in a survey. The measure of “westernization” assessed 4 domains of culture on a bi-dimensional scale that focused on these young people’s identification with Indian (α=0.86) and Western (α=0.81) ways of living. Mixed-effects regression models were used to investigate the association between “westernization,” weight status, and health behaviors. Gender, school type (SES), and grade were evaluated as effect modifiers. Results. “Westernization” was not directly associated with weight status or BMI (p\u3e0.500). However, adolescents’ identification with Western ways of living was consistently related to both unhealthy (e.g., fast food consumption, pppConclusions. The influence of “westernization” on nutrition and physical activity behaviors of older adolescents in Delhi, India is complex and not wholly negative, as might be hypothesized

Increasing physical activity and decreasing sedentary activity in adolescent girls – The Incorporating More Physical Activity and Calcium in Teens (IMPACT) study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lack of regular physical activity and consequent sub-optimal bone mass acquisition in youth has been implicated as a primary cause of adult-onset osteoporosis. IMPACT was a behavioral theory-based 1 1/2 year randomized controlled field study aimed at increasing bone accretion in middle school girls. The objective of this study was to determine the intervention effects of the IMPACT program upon key physical and sedentary activity endpoints among schools that participated in the IMPACT study. Endpoints examined included weight bearing physical activity (WBPA); moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA); vigorous physical activity (VPA); MET (metabolic equivalent) – weighted WBPA and MVPA; sedentary activity; before/after-school physical activity; and weekend physical activity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Primary data analysis using a pretest-posttest control group design was conducted utilizing mixed model analysis of covariance. Data gathered from the IMPACT cohort from 2000–2002 were analyzed to determine baseline versus follow-up differences in activity endpoints. Confounders investigated included ethnicity, body mass index, menarcheal status, participation in 7^thgrade PE/athletics, friend/familial support and neighborhood safety.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Follow-up means were higher for participating intervention schools relative to control schools for all physical activity variables but were statistically significant only for the following variables: daily minutes of vigorous physical activity (mean difference between Intervention (I) and Control (C) = 6.00↑ minutes, 95% CI = 5.82–6.18, p = 0.05), daily after school activity minutes (mean difference between I and C = 8.95↑ minutes, 95% CI = 8.69–9.21, p = 0.04), and daily weekend activity minutes (mean difference between I and C = 19.00↑ minutes, 95% CI = 18.40–19.60, p = 0.05). The intervention significantly reduced duration of student daily TV/Video watching (mean difference between I and C = 12.11↓ minutes, 95% CI = 11.74–12.48, p = 0.05) and total daily sedentary activity minutes (mean difference between I and C = 16.99↓ minutes, 95% CI = 16.49–17.50, p = 0.04).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A well designed and implemented school based health and physical activity intervention can result in a positive influence upon increasing physical activity levels and decreasing sedentary activity. Future interventions should consider a more structured intervention component to obtain significant changes in WBPA.</p

Food Safety attitudes, Behaviors, and Hygiene Measures among Predominantly Low-income Parents in Houston, Texas

ABSTRACT: Foodborne infections in the United States affect racial-ethnic minority and low-income populations at higher rates than the general population. to identify the prevalence of food safety behaviors and demographic characteristics associated with food handling practices among a susceptible, high-risk population, a cross-sectional survey was administered to 106 parents with children enrolled at two elementary schools serving predominantly low-income families in Houston, Texas. Relationships between demographic characteristics and food safety behavioral outcomes were examined using cross-tabulations and Fisher\u27s exact test. Most respondents were female (93.4%), Hispanic, Latino, or Mexican American (94.9%), and had no previous food handling employment experience (75.0%). The primary source of food safety information reported was the Internet (32.7%), and nearly half of parents (42.7%) reported that they did not consider contamination of food with germs a serious food safety problem. Hand washing before food preparation was more common (98.0%) than before touching the refrigerator handle (66.3%), after electronic device use (55.6%), or after handling raw animal proteins (77.6%). The prevalence of fresh fruit (98.0%) and vegetable (97.9%) washing and appropriate contaminated cutting board handling (89.0%) was high among parents. Self-reported gaps in food handling behaviors identified included lack of food thermometer ownership (80.4%), use of reusable cleaning tools (71.0%), inappropriate defrosting methods (67.4%), and washing of raw poultry (86.3%), seafood (84.9%), and meat (74.7%). Hand washing after electronic device use and defrosting methods were observed to vary significantly according to demographic characteristics. Food safety education with messages targeted to specific demographic groups may be necessary to reduce the risk of foodborne disease among low-income parents and young children

An Increase in Food Insecurity Correlated with an Increase in Plasma Triglycerides among Latinx Children.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity and metabolic diseases both disproportionately affect Hispanic children. Cross-sectional studies have linked food insecurity with adverse cardiometabolic markers, including elevated plasma triglycerides and glucose concentrations. However, the association between changes in food insecurity and changes in cardiometabolic markers in children remains to be explored. Furthermore, few studies have assessed the impact of school-based nutrition interventions on household food insecurity. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of this study are to assess the effect of the TX Sprouts intervention on household food insecurity and to examine the association between changes in household food insecurity and changes in cardiometabolic markers over 1 academic year. METHODS: This secondary analysis used data from TX Sprouts, a cluster-randomized school-based gardening, cooking, and nutrition trial. The study enrolled 3rd-5th-grade students from 16 schools that served primarily (\u3e50%) Hispanic families with low income in Austin, TX. Participants (n = 619) provided household food insecurity data and fasting lipid panels at both baseline and postintervention, ∼9 mo following. RESULTS: There was no intervention effect on household food insecurity. Independent of the intervention, a 1-point increase in food insecurity, indicative of becoming more food insecure, was associated with a 2.61 mg/dL increase in triglycerides (P = 0.001; 95% CI: 1.04, 4.19) at follow-up. Children who were food insecure at baseline and became food secure at follow-up had a mean 5.05 mg/dL decrease in triglycerides compared with a 7.50 mg/dL increase in triglycerides in children who remained food insecure throughout (95% CI: -23.40, -1.71, P = 0.023). There were no other associations between changes in food insecurity and cardiometabolic markers. CONCLUSION: Although the intervention did not improve food insecurity, reductions in food insecurity over 9 mo were associated with improved cardiometabolic markers in high-risk children, emphasizing the need for interventions targeting food insecurity. The study is registered at clinicaltrials.gov under NCT02668744 (https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/ct2/show/NCT02668744)

Brighter Sights: Using Photovoice for a Process Evaluation of a Food Co-op Style Nutrition Intervention

Access to healthy food is a critical factor impacting childhood obesity. Brighter Bites is a school-based program that addresses the issue of fresh food access among low-income families living in food deserts using a food co-op model. The aim of this study is to evaluate initial parent participant reactions to the ongoing Brighter Bites program using Photovoice. A predominately Hispanic, economically disadvantaged, urban school was chosen as the site for the Photovoice project. A total of seven Brighter Bites parent participants were enrolled and six completed the study. The participants developed research questions, took documentary photographs, completed a group analysis of the resulting photos, selected key images and created accompanying captions for a community event. During analysis of the photographs by the group, eight major themes emerged including: impact on the family food budget, produce quality, exposure to unknown fruits and vegetables, socializing with other parents, strategies to use/get children to eat produce, child curiosity of program, and children having fun helping with produce. These themes informed researchers of possible target areas for future program development and quality improvement. The positive nature of most photographs and comments suggests the program is being accepted in the community and impacting local families with regard to food access, food security and healthy eating behaviors