Family-based behavioural intervention programme for obese children: a feasibility study

OBJECTIVES: To assess a 2-year family-based behavioural intervention programme against child obesity. DESIGN: Single-group pre- and post-intervention feasibility study. SETTING: Swedish paediatric outpatient care. PARTICIPANTS: 26 obese children aged 8.3-12.0 years and their parents who had consented to actively participate in a 2-year intervention. INTERVENTIONS: 25 paediatric outpatient group sessions over a 2-year period with parallel groups for children and parents. The basis for the programme was a manual containing instructions for tutor-supervised group sessions with obese children and their parents. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was change in standardised body mass index between baseline and after 36 months. The secondary outcome measures were change in the waist:height ratio, metabolic parameters and programme adherence. The participants were examined at baseline and after 3, 12 and 24 months of therapy and at follow-up 12 months after completion of the programme. RESULTS: The primary outcome measure, standardised body mass index, declined from a mean of 3.3 (0.7 SD) at baseline to 2.9 (0.7 SD) (p<0.001) at follow-up 12 months after completion of the programme. There was no change in the waist:height ratio. Biomedical markers of blood glucose metabolism and lipid status remained in the normal range. 96% of the families completed the programme. CONCLUSIONS: This feasibility study of a 2-year family-based behavioural intervention programme in paediatric outpatient care showed promising results with regard to further weight gain and programme adherence. These findings must be confirmed in a randomised controlled trial with longer follow-up before the intervention programme can be implemented on a larger scale

Organizational approaches to the forming of strategic partnership of enterprises of region

Систематизовано організаційні підходи до формування стратегічного партнерства підприємств, що існують у вітчизняній та зарубіжній науковій літературі. Виділено цільовий, або проблемно-орієнтовний, підхід, первинним етапом якого є встановлення стратегічних цілей; ресурсно-компетенційний підхід, який засновано на визначенні наявних ресурсів та компетенцій підприємств – потенційних партнерів, та проектний підхід, згідно з яким формування стратегічного партнерства підприємств пов’язано з реалізацією сукупності проектів. Обґрунтовано функціональний, або структурний, підхід, що передбачає включення у партнерство підприємств тих галузей, які є ключовими та які визначають спеціалізацію регіону. Використання запропонованого підходу забезпечить комплексний соціально-економічний розвиток господарства регіону.Organizational approaches to forming of strategic partnership of enterprises which exist in domestic and foreign scientific literature are systematized. Target, or problem-orientated, approach the primary stage of which is establishment of strategic aims; resource-competent approach which is based on determination of present resources and jurisdictions of enterprises – potential partners, and project approach, according to which the forming of strategic partnership of enterprises is related with the realization of complex of projects are selected. Functional, or structural, approach, which foresees plugging in partnership of enterprises of those industries which are key and which determine specialization of region is grounded. Offered approach has the followings stages: determination of regional type and basic industries of industrial production, successful development of which will become the key factor of regional economic development; formulation of strategic aims of enterprises of priority industries according to norms and normative correlations, set the most perfect technologies, by organization of production on the whole and separate subsystems of enterprises which are utilized in the proper industries in Ukraine and world; estimation by the enterprises of present and necessary resources and jurisdictions, determination of potential partners after the criterion of presence of necessary resources and jurisdictions and choice of enterprises – potential partners, clarification of strategic and operative aims of strategic partnership that formalize the relations of enterprises-partners. The use of this approach will provide complex socio-economic development of economy of region

Genome-wide analysis of 53,400 people with irritable bowel syndrome highlights shared genetic pathways with mood and anxiety disorders

Funder: Kennedy Trust Rheumatology Research Prize StudentshipFunder: DFG Cluster of Excellence “Precision Medicine in Chronic In-flammation” (PMI; ID: EXC2167)Funder: EC | EC Seventh Framework Programm | FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific Programme: “Ideas” Implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities (2007 to 2013)); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100011199; Grant(s): 715772Funder: NWO-VIDI grant 016.178.056, the Netherlands Heart Foundation CVON grant 2018-27, and NWO Gravitation grant ExposomeNLFunder: Li Ka Shing Foundation (Li Ka Shing Foundation Limited); doi: https://doi.org/10.13039/100007421Abstract: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) results from disordered brain–gut interactions. Identifying susceptibility genes could highlight the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. We designed a digestive health questionnaire for UK Biobank and combined identified cases with IBS with independent cohorts. We conducted a genome-wide association study with 53,400 cases and 433,201 controls and replicated significant associations in a 23andMe panel (205,252 cases and 1,384,055 controls). Our study identified and confirmed six genetic susceptibility loci for IBS. Implicated genes included NCAM1, CADM2, PHF2/FAM120A, DOCK9, CKAP2/TPTE2P3 and BAG6. The first four are associated with mood and anxiety disorders, expressed in the nervous system, or both. Mirroring this, we also found strong genome-wide correlation between the risk of IBS and anxiety, neuroticism and depression (rg > 0.5). Additional analyses suggested this arises due to shared pathogenic pathways rather than, for example, anxiety causing abdominal symptoms. Implicated mechanisms require further exploration to help understand the altered brain–gut interactions underlying IBS

The genomics of heart failure: design and rationale of the HERMES consortium

Aims The HERMES (HEart failure Molecular Epidemiology for Therapeutic targets) consortium aims to identify the genomic and molecular basis of heart failure.Methods and results The consortium currently includes 51 studies from 11 countries, including 68 157 heart failure cases and 949 888 controls, with data on heart failure events and prognosis. All studies collected biological samples and performed genome-wide genotyping of common genetic variants. The enrolment of subjects into participating studies ranged from 1948 to the present day, and the median follow-up following heart failure diagnosis ranged from 2 to 116 months. Forty-nine of 51 individual studies enrolled participants of both sexes; in these studies, participants with heart failure were predominantly male (34-90%). The mean age at diagnosis or ascertainment across all studies ranged from 54 to 84 years. Based on the aggregate sample, we estimated 80% power to genetic variant associations with risk of heart failure with an odds ratio of >1.10 for common variants (allele frequency > 0.05) and >1.20 for low-frequency variants (allele frequency 0.01-0.05) at P Conclusions HERMES is a global collaboration aiming to (i) identify the genetic determinants of heart failure; (ii) generate insights into the causal pathways leading to heart failure and enable genetic approaches to target prioritization; and (iii) develop genomic tools for disease stratification and risk prediction.</p

The genomics of heart failure: design and rationale of the HERMES consortium

Aims: The HERMES (HEart failure Molecular Epidemiology for Therapeutic targetS) consortium aims to identify the genomic and molecular basis of heart failure. Methods and results: The consortium currently includes 51 studies from 11 countries, including 68 157 heart failure cases and 949 888 controls, with data on heart failure events and prognosis. All studies collected biological samples and performed genome‐wide genotyping of common genetic variants. The enrolment of subjects into participating studies ranged from 1948 to the present day, and the median follow‐up following heart failure diagnosis ranged from 2 to 116 months. Forty‐nine of 51 individual studies enrolled participants of both sexes; in these studies, participants with heart failure were predominantly male (34–90%). The mean age at diagnosis or ascertainment across all studies ranged from 54 to 84 years. Based on the aggregate sample, we estimated 80% power to genetic variant associations with risk of heart failure with an odds ratio of ≥1.10 for common variants (allele frequency ≥ 0.05) and ≥1.20 for low‐frequency variants (allele frequency 0.01–0.05) at P &lt; 5 × 10−8 under an additive genetic model. Conclusions: HERMES is a global collaboration aiming to (i) identify the genetic determinants of heart failure; (ii) generate insights into the causal pathways leading to heart failure and enable genetic approaches to target prioritization; and (iii) develop genomic tools for disease stratification and risk prediction

Evaluation of a family-based behavioural intervention programme for children with obesity

Background and aims: Impaired eating habits and reduced physical activity have become associated with obesity in children in the last three decades. Parents have a responsibility to be good models for their children regarding lifestyle patterns and habits. The aim of this thesis was to evaluate a family-based behavioural intervention programme (FBIP) for children with obesity designed for use in paediatric outpatient care. The specific aims were to investigate the clinical outcomes and programme adherence and to examine the children’s lifestyle habits according to their own and their parents’ reports, the agreement between these reports, and the correlations to change in z-BMI (standardized body mass index) from baseline to 12 months after the FBIP. Subjects and methods: This thesis is based on a prospective single-group before/after design. Twenty-six children, 14 boys and 12 girls aged 8.3–12.0 years, and their parents attended 25 group sessions, in 3 child and 3 parental groups, during a 2-year FBIP. The treatment manual, Group treatment for children with Overweight and Obesity and their Parents and the semistructured interview called MORSE, a Swedish term for Food and Activity, Social and Emotional adaptation, emphasizes cognitive and behavioural guidelines and the focus is to change eating and physical activity habits and to maintain the new changes. Results: The results showed that the children decreased their z-BMI from a mean of 3.3 (0.7 SD) at baseline to 2.9 (0.7 SD) 1 year after the completion of the programme. There was a significant decrease in z-BMI in boys from a mean of 3.5 (0.6 SD) at baseline to 3.0 (0.7 SD) (p = 0.001) at follow-up 12 months after completion of the programme; the z-BMI in the girls decreased from a mean of 3.0 (0.6 SD) at baseline to 2.7 (0.8 SD) (p = 0.155) at follow-up. The children’s waist/height ratio (the waist circumference in centimetres) divided by the height (in centimetres) showed no significant decrease over the same period. The biomedical markers of blood glucose metabolism and lipid status remained within the normal range at the 1-year follow-up after program completion compared with baseline. The rate of family adherence to the programme was high. The reports from the children and the parents regarding the children’s lifestyle habits showed a significant increase regarding the level of physical activity after the FBIP (24 months) compared with baseline. Agreement between the children and their parents improved after the FBIP (24 months) compared with baseline, regarding whether the children felt hungry most of the time and the children’s levels of physical and sedentary activity. Changes in the child or parental analyses of lifestyle were not significantly associated with reduced weight 1 year after the end of the FBIP. Conclusions: A 2-year FBIP against childhood obesity implemented in a paediatric outpatient setting can be seen as a potential model for children and their parents. It is important to offer interventions to children with obesity although this FBIP needs to be confirmed with larger populations in a randomized controlled trial

Family-based behavioural intervention program for obese children : an observational study of child and parent lifestyle interpretations

Background Family-based behavioural intervention programs (FBIPs) against childhood obesity have shown promising results, but the mediating mechanisms have not been identified. The aim of this study was to examine changes in obese childreńs lifestyle habits during a 2-year FBIP according to their own and parents’ reports, the concordance between these reports and the correlations to change in post-intervention z-BMI. Methods An observational study of 26 children (8.3–12.0 years) and their parents participating in a 2-year FBIP was performed. Weight and height were measured from baseline to 12 months after the end of the program. Eating habits and physical- and sedentary activity were reported separately by children and parents. Data were analysed with regard to concordance between parents’ and children’s reports and association between the lifestyle reports and change in z-BMI at the study endpoint using descriptive statistics and parametric and non-parametric tests. Results According to both children’s and parents’ reports, the level of physical activity among the children had increased after the intervention as well as the agreement between the informants’ reports. According to the children, eating habits had improved, while the parents’ reports showed an improvement only with regard to binge eating. The concordance between children and parents regarding eating habits was slight to fair also after the intervention. No statistically significant associations between changes in lifestyle reports and changes in z-BMI were observed. Conclusions Child and parent reports of physical activity were found to converge and display an improvement in a 2-year FBIP, while the reports on eating habits showed a more refractory pattern. Changes in concordance and agreement between children and parents reports did not correlate with weight reduction. Further methods development and studies of the processes during family-based interventions against childhood obesity are warranted

Child and parental assessments of the child’s sedentary activity habits and their agreements at baseline, after 3 months, and after 24 months of intervention program; concordance is displayed by Cohen’s kappa and agreement proportions as percentages.

<p>Statistically significant differences (<i>p</i><0.05; McNemar Test) from baseline in respective group’s assessments are indicated (*).</p

Correlations between change in z-BMI from 0 to 36 months and change in agreement of children’s and parents’ reports of the child’s behaviour and habits from 0 to 24 months.

<p>Correlations between change in z-BMI from 0 to 36 months and change in agreement of children’s and parents’ reports of the child’s behaviour and habits from 0 to 24 months.</p