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Socio-demographic patterning of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviours in eight Latin American countries: Findings from the ELANS study.
Ferrari, GLM, Kovalskys, I, Fisberg, M, Gómez, G, Rigotti, A, Sanabria, LYC, García, MCY, Torres, RGP, Herrera-Cuenca, M, Zimberg, IZ, et al
European journal of sport science. 2020;(5):670-681
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Abstract
Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours (SB) are two independent risk factors for non-communicable diseases. However, there is a lack of objectively measured information on PA and SB in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to use objective data to characterise socio-demographic patterns of PA and SB in eight Latin American countries. 2732 participants (aged 15-65 years) from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS) were included. PA and SB data were collected using accelerometers. Overall and country-specific average levels of time spent in PA and SB were compared by sex, age, socioeconomic and education level. Overall, the mean time spent in SB was 571.6 min/day, ranging from 553.8 min/day in Chile to 596.7 min/day in Peru. Average levels of light, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total PA were 311.1 min/day (95% CI: 307.7; 314.5), 34.9 min/day (95% CI: 34.0; 35.9) and 7531.2 MET-min/week (95% CI: 7450.4; 7611.9), respectively. MVPA and total PA were higher in men than women. The prevalence of physical inactivity was 40.6%, ranging from 26.9% (Chile) to 47% (Costa Rica and Venezuela). Women were more physically inactive than men (47.7% versus 33.0%). SB levels were highest among those with higher education; PA graded positively with socioeconomic level. Our findings can inform the planning of health policies and programmes designed to reduce levels of physical inactivity, as well as inform the local and cultural adaptation of these policies and programmes for implementation in Latin America. Highlights Worldwide studies of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours (SB) have historically under-represented Latin American countries due to the lack of surveillance data. Across eight Latin American countries, the ELANS study collected data on PA and SB using an objective method (accelerometers) which we have analysed to quantify and characterise socio-demographic patterns. Over four-in-ten participants were physically inactive (40.6%); with a gender gap (47.7% women; 33.0% men); and striking differences between countries (47% Costa Rica and Venezuela; 26.9% Chile). In all countries, levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were lowest, and levels of SB were highest, among participants in the higher education groups. Our findings on the unequal distribution of PA and SB increases the evidence base and can help to inform future intervention strategies in Latin America.
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Clinical utility of 30-min plasma glucose for prediction of type 2 diabetes among people with prediabetes: Ancillary analysis of the diabetes community lifestyle improvement program.
Jagannathan, R, Weber, MB, Anjana, RM, Ranjani, H, Staimez, LR, Ali, MK, Mohan, V, Narayan, KMV
Diabetes research and clinical practice. 2020;:108075
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AIMS: To examine the clinical utility of 30-min plasma glucose (30-min-PG) measurement during an oral glucose tolerance (OGTT) in predicting type 2 diabetes (T2DM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data from a 3-year, randomized, controlled, primary prevention trial among 548 Asian Indians with prediabetes were analyzed. Participants underwent OGTT with PG measurements at fasting, 30-min, and 2-h at baseline and annually until the end of the study. Multivariable Cox regression models were constructed to calculate the risk of developing diabetes based on 30-min-PG levels. Improvement in prediction performance gained by adding an elevated level of 30-min-PG over prediabetic categories was calculated using the area-under-curve (AUC), net-reclassification (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) statistics. RESULTS At the end of follow-up, 30.4% of individuals had been diagnosed with T2DM by ADA criteria. Based on the maximally selected log-rank statistics, the optimal 30-min-PG cut point for predicting incident T2DM was >182 mg/dl. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models showed an independent association between elevated 30-min-PG (>182 mg/dl) and incident diabetes (hazard ratio (95% CI): 1.85 [1.32, 2.59]; Dxy = 0.353, c-statistic = 0.676). The addition of an elevated 30-min-PG (>182 mg/dl) model significantly improved the prediction of diabetes (Δdeviance: -15.4; ΔAUC: 0.11; NRIcontinuous: 0.51; IDI: 0.08) compared with IFG model alone) in individuals with prediabetes. CONCLUSION In prediabetic individuals, baseline 30-min-PG independently predicted T2DM and significantly improved reclassification and discrimination. Therefore, 30-min-PG should be considered as part of the routine testing in addition to FPG and 2-h-PG for better risk stratification.
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Strong Hearts, Healthy Communities: A Community-Based Randomized Trial for Rural Women.
Seguin, RA, Paul, L, Folta, SC, Nelson, ME, Strogatz, D, Graham, ML, Diffenderfer, A, Eldridge, G, Parry, SA
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). 2018;(5):845-853
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OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to evaluate a multilevel cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention program for rural women. METHODS This 6-month, community-based, randomized trial enrolled 194 sedentary rural women aged 40 or older with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 . Intervention participants attended 6 months of twice-weekly exercise, nutrition, and heart health classes (48 total) that included individual-, social-, and environment-level components. An education-only control program included didactic healthy lifestyle classes once a month (six total). The primary outcome measures were change in BMI and weight. RESULTS Within-group and between-group multivariate analyses revealed that only intervention participants decreased BMI (-0.85 units; 95% CI: -1.32 to -0.39; P = 0.001) and weight (-2.24 kg; 95% CI: -3.49 to -0.99; P = 0.002). Compared with controls, intervention participants decreased BMI (difference: -0.71 units; 95% CI: -1.35 to -0.08; P = 0.03) and weight (1.85 kg; 95% CI: -3.55 to -0.16; P = 0.03) and improved C-reactive protein (difference: -1.15 mg/L; 95% CI: -2.16 to -0.15; P = 0.03) and Simple 7, a composite CVD risk score (difference: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.14 to 1.21; P = 0.01). Cholesterol decreased among controls but increased in the intervention group (-7.85 vs. 3.92 mg/dL; difference: 11.77; 95% CI: 0.57 to 22.96; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS The multilevel intervention demonstrated modest but superior and meaningful improvements in BMI and other CVD risk factors compared with the control program.
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A Community-Based Intervention Program's Effects on Dietary Intake Behaviors.
Chang, MW, Brown, R, Nitzke, S
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). 2017;(12):2055-2061
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of a community-based lifestyle behavioral intervention on intakes of fat, fruits, vegetables, fast foods, and beverages in low-income young mothers with overweight or obesity. METHODS Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention (watching video lessons at home plus peer support group teleconferences) or a comparison group. General linear mixed model analyses were utilized to determine mean differences between the groups (212 intervention, 126 comparison) immediately following and 3 months (196 intervention, 115 comparison) after the intervention. RESULTS Immediately after the intervention, the intervention group had significantly lower mean scores in intakes of fat (effect size [d] = 0.24), fast foods (d = 0.33), and non-sugar-sweetened beverages (d = 0.27) than the comparison group. No significant group differences were observed for intakes of fruits, vegetables, or sugar-sweetened beverages. Three months after the intervention, no significant group differences were observed for intakes of fat, fruits, vegetables, fast foods, and both sugar- and non-sugar-sweetened beverages. CONCLUSIONS The intervention group improved dietary intakes of fat and fast foods but not fruits, vegetables, or beverages over the short term. Our intervention had no long-term effect on dietary intake behaviors.
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Social network targeting to maximise population behaviour change: a cluster randomised controlled trial.
Kim, DA, Hwong, AR, Stafford, D, Hughes, DA, O'Malley, AJ, Fowler, JH, Christakis, NA
Lancet (London, England). 2015;(9989):145-53
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BACKGROUND Information and behaviour can spread through interpersonal ties. By targeting influential individuals, health interventions that harness the distributive properties of social networks could be made more effective and efficient than those that do not. Our aim was to assess which targeting methods produce the greatest cascades or spillover effects and hence maximise population-level behaviour change. METHODS In this cluster randomised trial, participants were recruited from villages of the Department of Lempira, Honduras. We blocked villages on the basis of network size, socioeconomic status, and baseline rates of water purification, for delivery of two public health interventions: chlorine for water purification and multivitamins for micronutrient deficiencies. We then randomised villages, separately for each intervention, to one of three targeting methods, introducing the interventions to 5% samples composed of either: randomly selected villagers (n=9 villages for each intervention); villagers with the most social ties (n=9); or nominated friends of random villagers (n=9; the last strategy exploiting the so-called friendship paradox of social networks). Participants and data collectors were not aware of the targeting methods. Primary endpoints were the proportions of available products redeemed by the entire population under each targeting method. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01672580. FINDINGS Between Aug 4, and Aug 14, 2012, 32 villages in rural Honduras (25-541 participants each; total study population of 5773) received public health interventions. For each intervention, nine villages (each with 1-20 initial target individuals) were randomised, using a blocked design, to each of the three targeting methods. In nomination-targeted villages, 951 (74·3%) of 1280 available multivitamin tickets were redeemed compared with 940 (66·2%) of 1420 in randomly targeted villages and 744 (61·0%) of 1220 in indegree-targeted villages. All pairwise differences in redemption rates were significant (p<0·01) after correction for multiple comparisons. Targeting nominated friends increased adoption of the nutritional intervention by 12·2% compared with random targeting (95% CI 6·9-17·9). Targeting the most highly connected individuals, by contrast, produced no greater adoption of either intervention, compared with random targeting. INTERPRETATION Introduction of a health intervention to the nominated friends of random individuals can enhance that intervention's diffusion by exploiting intrinsic properties of human social networks. This method has the additional advantage of scalability because it can be implemented without mapping the network. Deployment of certain types of health interventions via network targeting, without increasing the number of individuals targeted or the resources used, could enhance the adoption and efficiency of those interventions, thereby improving population health. FUNDING National Institutes of Health, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Star Family Foundation, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
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A transactional approach to preventing early childhood neglect: The Family Check-Up as a public health strategy.
Dishion, TJ, Mun, CJ, Drake, EC, Tein, JY, Shaw, DS, Wilson, M
Development and psychopathology. 2015;(4 Pt 2):1647-60
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This study examined the hypothesis that a brief, strengths-based home visiting strategy can promote positive engagement between caregiver and child and thereby reduce various forms of early childhood neglect. A total of 731 low-income families receiving services through the Women, Infants, and Children nutritional supplement program were randomized to the Women, Infants, and Children as usual or the Family Check-Up intervention. Assessments and intervention services were delivered in the home environment at ages 2, 3, 4, and 5. During the assessments, staff videotaped caregiver-child interactions and rated various features of the home environment, including the physical appropriateness of the home setting for children. Trained observers later coded the videotapes, unaware of the family's intervention condition. Specific caregiver-child interaction patterns were coded and macroratings were made of the caregiver's affection, monitoring, and involvement with the child. An intention to treat design revealed that randomization to the Family Check-Up increased duration of positive engagement between caregivers and children by age 3, which in turn was prognostic of less neglect of the child at age 4, controlling for family adversity. It was also found that family adversity moderated the impact of the intervention, such that the families with the most adverse circumstances were highly responsive to the intervention. Families with the highest levels of adversity exhibited the strongest mediation between positive engagement and reduction of neglect. Findings are discussed with respect to developmental theory and their potential implications for a public health approach to the prevention of early childhood maltreatment.
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Public health impact of risk factors for physical inactivity in adults with rheumatoid arthritis.
Lee, J, Dunlop, D, Ehrlich-Jones, L, Semanik, P, Song, J, Manheim, L, Chang, RW
Arthritis care & research. 2012;(4):488-93
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the potential public health impact of modifiable risk factors related to physical inactivity in adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS A cross-sectional study used baseline data from 176 adults with RA enrolled in a randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of an intervention to promote physical activity. Accelerometer data were assessed for inactivity (i.e., no sustained 10-minute periods of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity during a week's surveillance). The relationships between modifiable risk factors (motivation for physical activity, beliefs related to physical activity, obesity, pain, and mental health) and inactivity were assessed using odds ratios (ORs) and attributable fractions (AFs), controlling for descriptive factors (age, sex, race, education, disease duration, and comorbidity). RESULTS More than 2 in 5 adults (42%) with RA were inactive. Factors most strongly related to inactivity were lack of strong motivation for physical activity (adjusted OR 2.85; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.31, 6.20 and adjusted AF 53.1%; 95% CI 21.7, 74.6) and lack of strong beliefs related to physical activity (OR 2.47; 95% CI 1.10, 5.56 and AF 49.2%; 95% CI 7.0, 76.4). Together, these 2 factors are related to almost 65% excess inactivity in this sample. CONCLUSION These results support the development of interventions that increase motivation for physical activity and that lead to stronger beliefs related to physical activity's benefits, and should be considered in public health initiatives to reduce the prevalence of physical inactivity in adults with RA.
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Reducing anti-fat prejudice in preservice health students: a randomized trial.
O'Brien, KS, Puhl, RM, Latner, JD, Mir, AS, Hunter, JA
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). 2010;(11):2138-44
Abstract
Anti-fat sentiment is increasing, is prevalent in health professionals, and has health and social consequences. There is no evidence for effective obesity prejudice reduction techniques in health professionals. The present experiment sought to reduce implicit and explicit anti-fat prejudice in preservice health students. Health promotion/public health bachelor degree program students (n = 159) were randomized to one of three tutorial conditions. One condition presented an obesity curriculum on the controllable reasons for obesity (i.e., diet/exercise). A prejudice reduction condition presented evidence on the uncontrollable reasons for obesity (i.e., genes/environment); whereas a neutral (control) curriculum focused on alcohol use in young people. Measures of implicit and explicit anti-fat prejudice, beliefs about obese people, and dieting, were taken at baseline and postintervention. Repeated measures analyses showed decreases in two forms of implicit anti-fat prejudice (decreases of 27 and 12%) in the genes/environment condition relative to other conditions. The diet/exercise condition showed a 27% increase in one measure of implicit anti-fat prejudice. Reductions in explicit anti-fat prejudice were also seen in the genes/environment condition (P = 0.006). No significant changes in beliefs about obese people or dieting control beliefs were found across conditions. The present results show that anti-fat prejudice can be reduced or exacerbated depending on the causal information provided about obesity. The present results have implications for the training of health professionals, especially given their widespread negativity toward overweight and obesity.