Evaluating the Feasibility of a Gardening and Nutrition Intervention with a Matched Contact-Control Physical Activity Intervention Targeting Youth

The study reported here involved Cooperative Extension as a key research partner and was guided by a community-based participatory research approach and a feasibility study framework. The research objective was to assess four indicators of feasibility (i.e., acceptability, demand, implementation, and limited-effectiveness) of a gardening and nutrition program delivered at three youth community sites as compared to a matched contact-control physical activity intervention delivered at three different youth community sites. Conducted in a medically underserved region, the mixed-methods, quasi-experimental study revealed numerous opportunities for and barriers to increasing youths\u27 willingness to try fruits and vegetables and increasing physical activity among youths

Rural African American Women With Severe Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Lifestyle Behaviors and Psychosocial Characteristics

PurposeTo examine differences in lifestyle behavioral and psychosocial factors between rural African American women with Class 3 obesity and those with overweight, and Class 1-2 obesity.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingRural Southeastern United States.SubjectsParticipants included 289 African American women with a mean age of 56 years, 66% with a high school education or less, and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 38.6 kg/m2; 35% (n = 102) were classified with Class 3 obesity.MeasuresWe objectively measured height, weight, and physical activity steps/day. Self-reported dietary and physical activity behaviors, general health-related quality of life, mental health, and social support were measured with validated surveys.AnalysisChi-Square analysis for categorical variables and analysis of variance (ANOVA) – via multiple linear regression – for continuous variables.ResultsThere were no significant demographic differences between BMI groups, except for age, where women with Class 3 obesity were on average younger (51 vs 58 y, P < .001). Although dietary behaviors did not differ significantly between groups, we observed significant group differences in self-reported and objective measures of physical activity. The age-adjusted difference in means for self-reported total physical activity minutes/wk. was 91 minutes, with women categorized with Class 3 obesity reporting significantly fewer weekly minutes than those with overweight/Class 1-2 obesity (64.3 vs 156.4 min/wk. respectively, P < .01). Among psychosocial variables, only in the physical component scores of health-related quality of life did we find significant group differences – lower physical well-being among women with Class 3 obesity compared to those with overweight/Class 1-2 obesity (P = .02).ConclusionFor African American women with Class 3 obesity living in rural setting, these findings suggest behavioral weight loss interventions may need to target physical activity strategies that address physical, psychosocial, and environmental barriers

Participatory development and pilot testing of iChoose: an adaptation of an evidence-based paediatric weight management program for community implementation

Abstract Background To describe the identification, adaptation, and testing of an evidence-based pediatric weight management program for a health disparate community. Methods A community advisory board (CAB) of decision-makers and staff from local health care, public health, and recreation organizations engaged with academic partners to select an evidence-based program (EBP) for local implementation. Three EBPs were identified (Traffic Light, Bright Bodies, Golan and colleagues Home Environmental Model) and each EBP was rated on program characteristics, implementation and adaptation, and adoptability. Following selection of the EBP that was rated highest, the POPS-CAB made adaptations based on the program principles described in peer-reviewed publications. The adapted intervention, iChoose, was then pilot tested in 3 iterative phases delivered initially by research partners, then co-delivered by research and community partners, then delivered by community partners. The RE-AIM framework was used to plan and evaluate the iChoose intervention across all waves with assessments at baseline, post program (3 months), and follow-up (6 months). Results Bright Bodies rated highest on program characteristics and adoptability (p’s < 0.05), while Home Environmental Model rated highest on implementation factors (p < 0.05). Qualitatively, the selection focused on important program characteristics and on matching those characteristics to the potential to fit within the community partner services. The adapted program—iChoose—had 18% reach and with participants that were representative of the target population on age, gender, ethnicity, and race. Effectiveness was demonstrated by modest, but significant reductions in BMI z-scores at post-program compared to baseline (MΔ = − 0.047; t = − 2.11, p = 0.046). This decrease returned to values similar to baseline 3 months (MΔ = 0.009) after the program was completed. Implementation fidelity was high and implementation fidelity did not differ between community or research delivery agents. Conclusion The process to help organizations identify and select evidence-based programs appropriate for their community led to consensus on a single EBP. While iChoose was successful in initiating changes in BMI z-scores, could be implemented in a low resource community with fidelity, it was insufficient to lead to sustained child BMI z-scores. In response to these data, maintenance of program effects and delivery are the current focus of the CBPR team

The Separation of Gastric Aspartic Proteases Using Affinity Chromatography

Human gastric juice contains mainly aspartic proteases - pepsin A and pepsin C. Both pepsins are produced by gastric mucosa as inactive pepsinogens (pepsinogen A and pepsinogen C) that differ in their physico-chemical and immunological properties. Both pepsinogens consist of molecular variants, isozymogens. Pepsinogens are activated to the corresponding pepsins in the acidic environment of the gastric lumen. (...) A subject of this Ph.D. thesis is a part of a long-term investigation that focuses on the elaboration of methods for the separation of gastric aspartic proteases that would be suitable for monitoring of their changes in mentioned diseases. This thesis was mainly focused on preparation of affinity sorbents suitable for separation of pepsins and pepsinogens. The choice of ligands was based on the substrate N-acetyl-L-phenylalanyl-3,5-diiodo-L-tyrosine that is used to differentiate pepsin A and pepsin C. The following three affinity sorbents were prepared: iodinated L-tyrosine-Sepharose, 3,5-diiodo-L-tyrosine- Sepharose, and N-acetyl-L-phenylalanine-Sepharose. The basic characteristics of the prepared affinity sorbents were determined using the model enzyme (porcine pepsin A). The comparison of the chromatographic behavior of porcine pepsin A and its complex with pepstatine A showed that the enzyme..