Parks, Trails, and Greenways for Physical Activity: A Community Guide Systematic Economic Review.

INTRODUCTION: This systematic economic review examined the cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness of park, trail, and greenway infrastructure interventions to increase physical activity or infrastructure use. METHODS: The search period covered the date of inception of publications databases through February 2022. Inclusion was limited to studies that reported cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness outcomes and were based in the U.S. and other high-income countries. Analyses were conducted from March 2022 through December 2022. All monetary values reported are in 2021 U.S. dollars. RESULTS: The search yielded 1 study based in the U.S. and 7 based in other high-income countries, with 1 reporting cost-effectiveness and 7 reporting cost-benefit outcomes. The cost-effectiveness study based in the United Kingdom reported $23,254 per disability-adjusted life year averted. The median benefit-to-cost ratio was 3.1 (interquartile interval=2.9-3.9) on the basis of 7 studies. DISCUSSION: The evidence shows that economic benefits exceed the intervention cost of park, trail, and greenway infrastructure. Given large differences in the size of infrastructure, intervention costs and economic benefits varied substantially across studies. There was insufficient number of studies to determine the cost-effectiveness of these interventions.

Enhancing grant-writing expertise in BUILD institutions: Building infrastructure leading to diversity.

BACKGROUND: The lack of race/ethnic and gender diversity in grants funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a persistent challenge related to career advancement and the quality and relevance of health research. We describe pilot programs at nine institutions supported by the NIH-sponsored Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program aimed at increasing diversity in biomedical research. METHODS: We collected data from the 2016-2017 Higher Education Research Institute survey of faculty and NIH progress reports for the first four years of the program (2015-2018). We then conducted descriptive analyses of data from the nine BUILD institutions that had collected data and evaluated which activities were associated with research productivity. We used Poisson regression and rate ratios of the numbers of BUILD pilots funded, students included, abstracts, presentations, publications, and submitted and funded grant proposals. RESULTS: Teaching workshops were associated with more abstracts (RR 4.04, 95% CI 2.21-8.09). Workshops on grant writing were associated with more publications (RR 2.64, 95% CI 1.64-4.34) and marginally with marginally more presentations. Incentives to develop courses were associated with more abstracts published (RR 4.33, 95% CI 2.56-7.75). Workshops on research skills and other incentives were not associated with any positive effects. CONCLUSIONS: Pilot interventions show promise in supporting diversity in NIH-level research. Longitudinal modeling that considers time lags in career development in moving from project development to grants submissions can provide more direction for future diversity pilot interventions.

Exercise/Physical Activity in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes: A Consensus Statement from the American College of Sports Medicine.

ABSTRACT: This consensus statement is an update of the 2010 American College of Sports Medicine position stand on exercise and type 2 diabetes. Since then, a substantial amount of research on select topics in exercise in individuals of various ages with type 2 diabetes has been published while diabetes prevalence has continued to expand worldwide. This consensus statement provides a brief summary of the current evidence and extends and updates the prior recommendations. The document has been expanded to include physical activity, a broader, more comprehensive definition of human movement than planned exercise, and reducing sedentary time. Various types of physical activity enhance health and glycemic management in people with type 2 diabetes, including flexibility and balance exercise, and the importance of each recommended type or mode are discussed. In general, the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans apply to all individuals with type 2 diabetes, with a few exceptions and modifications. People with type 2 diabetes should engage in physical activity regularly and be encouraged to reduce sedentary time and break up sitting time with frequent activity breaks. Any activities undertaken with acute and chronic health complications related to diabetes may require accommodations to ensure safe and effective participation. Other topics addressed are exercise timing to maximize its glucose-lowering effects and barriers to and inequities in physical activity adoption and maintenance.

Men and Oral Health: A Review of Sex and Gender Differences.

Sex and gender related health disparities in oral health remain an underappreciated and often over looked aspect of well-being. The goal of this narrative review is to identify sex and gender related oral health disparities by summarizing the current literature related to differences in oral health between men and women. The review identified that men are more likely to: ignore their oral health, have poorer oral hygiene habits, and experience higher rates of periodontal disease, oral cancer, and dental trauma. Men also visit dentists less frequently and compared to women seek oral treatment more often for an acute problem and less often for disease prevention. Women exhibit more positive attitudes about dental visits, greater oral health literacy, and demonstrate better oral health behaviors than men. Men disproportionately develop periodontal diseases due to a combination of biological and gender related reasons including immune system factors, hormone differences, poorer oral hygiene behaviors, and greater tobacco use. There is a male to female ratio of 2:1 for oral cancer, largely attributable to more tobacco use, heavier use of alcohol, and longer sun exposure. Minority men experience a disproportionate burden of oral health disparities because of both their gender and race/ethnic identities. In conclusion, this review identifies several differences between men and women related to oral health and highlights the need for further research to better understand these disparities and how to incorporate them into developing prevention, education and treatment strategies to improve oral health in men.

Supporting Biomedical Research Training for Historically Underrepresented Undergraduates Using Interprofessional, Nonformal Education Structures.

Research experience provides critical training for new biomedical research scientists. Students from underrepresented populations studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) are increasingly recruited into research pathways to diversify STEM fields. However, support structures outside of research settings designed to help these students navigate biomedical research pathways are not always available; nor are program support components outside the context of laboratory technical skills training and formal mentorship well understood. This study leveraged a multi-institutional research training program, Enhancing Cross-Disciplinary Infrastructure and Training at Oregon (EXITO), to explore how nine institutions designed a new curricular structure (Enrichment) to meet a common goal of enhancing undergraduate research training and student success. EXITO undergraduates participated in a comprehensive, 3-year research training program with the Enrichment component offered across nine sites: three universities and six community colleges, highly diverse in size, demographics, and location. Sites' approaches to supporting students in the training program were studied over a 30-month period. All sites independently created their own nonformal curricular structures, implemented interprofessionally via facilitated peer groups. Site data describing design and implementation were thematically coded to identify essential programmatic components across sites, with student feedback used to triangulate findings. Enrichment offered students time to critically reflect on their interests, experiences, and identities in research; network with peers and professionals; and support negotiation of hidden and implicit curricula. Students reported the low-pressure setting and student-centered curriculum balanced the high demands associated with academics and research. Core curricular themes described Enrichment as fostering a sense of community among students, exposing students to career paths and skills, and supporting development of students' professional identities. The non-formal, interprofessional curricula enabled students to model diverse biomedical identities and pathways for each other while informing institutional structures to improve diverse undergraduate students' success in academia and research.

New research directions on disparities in obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes disproportionately impact U.S. racial and ethnic minority communities and low-income populations. Improvements in implementing efficacious interventions to reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes are underway (i.e., the National Diabetes Prevention Program), but challenges in effectively scaling-up successful interventions and reaching at-risk populations remain. In October 2017, the National Institutes of Health convened a workshop to understand how to (1) address socioeconomic and other environmental conditions that perpetuate disparities in the burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes; (2) design effective prevention and treatment strategies that are accessible, feasible, culturally relevant, and acceptable to diverse population groups; and (3) achieve sustainable health improvement approaches in communities with the greatest burden of these diseases. Common features of guiding frameworks to understand and address disparities and promote health equity were described. Promising research directions were identified in numerous areas, including study design, methodology, and core metrics; program implementation and scalability; the integration of medical care and social services; strategies to enhance patient empowerment; and understanding and addressing the impact of psychosocial stress on disease onset and progression in addition to factors that support resiliency and health.

Risk thresholds for alcohol consumption: combined analysis of individual-participant data for 599 912 current drinkers in 83 prospective studies.

BACKGROUND: Low-risk limits recommended for alcohol consumption vary substantially across different national guidelines. To define thresholds associated with lowest risk for all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease, we studied individual-participant data from 599 912 current drinkers without previous cardiovascular disease. METHODS: We did a combined analysis of individual-participant data from three large-scale data sources in 19 high-income countries (the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration, EPIC-CVD, and the UK Biobank). We characterised dose-response associations and calculated hazard ratios (HRs) per 100 g per week of alcohol (12·5 units per week) across 83 prospective studies, adjusting at least for study or centre, age, sex, smoking, and diabetes. To be eligible for the analysis, participants had to have information recorded about their alcohol consumption amount and status (ie, non-drinker vs current drinker), plus age, sex, history of diabetes and smoking status, at least 1 year of follow-up after baseline, and no baseline history of cardiovascular disease. The main analyses focused on current drinkers, whose baseline alcohol consumption was categorised into eight predefined groups according to the amount in grams consumed per week. We assessed alcohol consumption in relation to all-cause mortality, total cardiovascular disease, and several cardiovascular disease subtypes. We corrected HRs for estimated long-term variability in alcohol consumption using 152 640 serial alcohol assessments obtained some years apart (median interval 5·6 years [5th-95th percentile 1·04-13·5]) from 71 011 participants from 37 studies. FINDINGS: In the 599 912 current drinkers included in the analysis, we recorded 40 310 deaths and 39 018 incident cardiovascular disease events during 5·4 million person-years of follow-up. For all-cause mortality, we recorded a positive and curvilinear association with the level of alcohol consumption, with the minimum mortality risk around or below 100 g per week. Alcohol consumption was roughly linearly associated with a higher risk of stroke (HR per 100 g per week higher consumption 1·14, 95% CI, 1·10-1·17), coronary disease excluding myocardial infarction (1·06, 1·00-1·11), heart failure (1·09, 1·03-1·15), fatal hypertensive disease (1·24, 1·15-1·33); and fatal aortic aneurysm (1·15, 1·03-1·28). By contrast, increased alcohol consumption was log-linearly associated with a lower risk of myocardial infarction (HR 0·94, 0·91-0·97). In comparison to those who reported drinking >0-≤100 g per week, those who reported drinking >100-≤200 g per week, >200-≤350 g per week, or >350 g per week had lower life expectancy at age 40 years of approximately 6 months, 1-2 years, or 4-5 years, respectively. INTERPRETATION: In current drinkers of alcohol in high-income countries, the threshold for lowest risk of all-cause mortality was about 100 g/week. For cardiovascular disease subtypes other than myocardial infarction, there were no clear risk thresholds below which lower alcohol consumption stopped being associated with lower disease risk. These data support limits for alcohol consumption that are lower than those recommended in most current guidelines. FUNDING: UK Medical Research Council, British Heart Foundation, National Institute for Health Research, European Union Framework 7, and European Research Council.

Enhancing Institutional Research Capacity: Results and Lessons from a Pilot Project Program.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the Building University Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) initiative to increase engagement and retention of undergraduates from diverse backgrounds in biomedical research. Portland State University, in partnership with ten other academic institutions, received a BUILD award and developed the BUILD EXITO (Enhancing Cross-Disciplinary Infrastructure and Training at Oregon) project. The EXITO program offers a three-year research and mentorship experience for undergraduates in biomedical, behavioral, social science, clinical, and bioengineering disciplines. The BUILD initiative also emphasizes enhancing research capacity and infrastructure through institutional change and faculty development. A key piece of EXITO's program to enhance research capacity is offering faculty an opportunity to apply for up to $50,000 of funding to carry out a one-year pilot study. We conducted two separate RFAs for this purpose, closely modeled on NIH's Small Grant Program (R03), over two years. Principal Investigators of pilot projects were encouraged to include EXITO students, or other undergraduate students, on their research teams. Students then worked on these research projects as part of EXITO's intensive mentored research program. This paper reports on methods to conduct and implement a pilot project program intended to train primarily junior faculty members to write and submit an NIH proposal and fund successful applicants to gather pilot project data to aid in applying for future proposals. We provided a step-by-step rigorous submission and review process. We provided proposal writing and revising workshops, technical support, and helped pilot project Principal Investigators (PIs) with biosketches, IRB applications, IUCUC documents, budgets, and other proposal sections. We secured at least three external (not at any BUILD EXITO institution) reviewers for each proposal. PIs revised proposals before resubmitting and receiving their final scores. Across two RFAs, we provided funds twenty PIs to conduct pilot projects; these projects included at least 21 students working on them who received mentoring in research methods and in disseminating results. This paper describes important lessons learned, including the importance of: allotting sufficient time to recruit reviewers; recruiting reviewers through a variety of sources and methods; and assisting PIs in engaging with research administration staff at Portland State University and partner institutions. Challenges included: finding an optimal timeline that was neither too compressed nor too stretched out; encouraging applicants from distant partner institutions to apply and keeping them engaged and retained through the entire process; and assisting PIs from partner institutions to efficiently utilize Portland State University's sponsored projects department if similar resources were not available at their home institutions. Our goal is to provide guidance and insights to faculty and research-administration staff at other institutions interested in replicating or adapting EXITO's program to enhance institutional research capacity.

BUILD EXITO: a multi-level intervention to support diversity in health-focused research.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: As part of the NIH BUILD initiative to diversify the scientific workforce, the EXITO project is a large multi-institutional effort to provide comprehensive support and training for undergraduates from traditionally underrepresented student populations who aspire to health-related research careers. Portland State University, a major public urban university that prioritizes student access and opportunity, and Oregon Health & Science University, a research-intensive academic health center, lead the EXITO network comprised of eleven 2-year and 4-year institutions of higher education spanning Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The EXITO project aims for impact in biomedical research by training diverse scholars from indigenous and underserved communities affected by adverse health disparities. PROJECT APPROACH: Guided by socio-ecological theory, the EXITO project is a multi-level intervention offering a three-year research training pathway for scholars in the biomedical, behavioral, health, and social sciences. Fundamental components of the model include student outreach and engagement, integrated curricular enhancements, intensive research experiences, multi-faceted developmental mentoring, supportive community and services, and rigorous evaluation and quality improvement. EXITO also advances faculty and institutional development in these domains by holding curriculum development conferences, creating research learning communities, awarding pilot project research funding, providing mentor training and ongoing support, collaborating with other research equity programs, and developing campus infrastructure and services to support scholars with diverse backgrounds and needs. HIGHLIGHTS: The large and geographically broad network of EXITO institutions engages a range of diverse students, including indigenous populations and students beginning post-secondary education at community colleges. The EXITO model specifically accommodates many students transferring from 2-year partner institutions and facilitates seamless transfer to the 4-year institution. EXITO features several approaches to research training, including supported summer entry into research placements, the incorporation of responsible conduct of research content into general education curriculum, and the intentional matching of scholars with three types of mentors (e.g., peer, career, research). IMPLICATIONS: EXITO provides an example of a comprehensive research training initiative for traditionally underrepresented students that can be implemented across a diverse range of 2-year and 4-year institutions.

Association of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity With Mortality.

IMPORTANCE: The prevalence of cardiometabolic multimorbidity is increasing. OBJECTIVE: To estimate reductions in life expectancy associated with cardiometabolic multimorbidity. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Age- and sex-adjusted mortality rates and hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using individual participant data from the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration (689,300 participants; 91 cohorts; years of baseline surveys: 1960-2007; latest mortality follow-up: April 2013; 128,843 deaths). The HRs from the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration were compared with those from the UK Biobank (499,808 participants; years of baseline surveys: 2006-2010; latest mortality follow-up: November 2013; 7995 deaths). Cumulative survival was estimated by applying calculated age-specific HRs for mortality to contemporary US age-specific death rates. EXPOSURES: A history of 2 or more of the following: diabetes mellitus, stroke, myocardial infarction (MI). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: All-cause mortality and estimated reductions in life expectancy. RESULTS: In participants in the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration without a history of diabetes, stroke, or MI at baseline (reference group), the all-cause mortality rate adjusted to the age of 60 years was 6.8 per 1000 person-years. Mortality rates per 1000 person-years were 15.6 in participants with a history of diabetes, 16.1 in those with stroke, 16.8 in those with MI, 32.0 in those with both diabetes and MI, 32.5 in those with both diabetes and stroke, 32.8 in those with both stroke and MI, and 59.5 in those with diabetes, stroke, and MI. Compared with the reference group, the HRs for all-cause mortality were 1.9 (95% CI, 1.8-2.0) in participants with a history of diabetes, 2.1 (95% CI, 2.0-2.2) in those with stroke, 2.0 (95% CI, 1.9-2.2) in those with MI, 3.7 (95% CI, 3.3-4.1) in those with both diabetes and MI, 3.8 (95% CI, 3.5-4.2) in those with both diabetes and stroke, 3.5 (95% CI, 3.1-4.0) in those with both stroke and MI, and 6.9 (95% CI, 5.7-8.3) in those with diabetes, stroke, and MI. The HRs from the Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration were similar to those from the more recently recruited UK Biobank. The HRs were little changed after further adjustment for markers of established intermediate pathways (eg, levels of lipids and blood pressure) and lifestyle factors (eg, smoking, diet). At the age of 60 years, a history of any 2 of these conditions was associated with 12 years of reduced life expectancy and a history of all 3 of these conditions was associated with 15 years of reduced life expectancy. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Mortality associated with a history of diabetes, stroke, or MI was similar for each condition. Because any combination of these conditions was associated with multiplicative mortality risk, life expectancy was substantially lower in people with multimorbidity.

Association of body mass index with cardiovascular disease biomarkers.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the underweight-morbidity relationship, and those that have were conducted in non-U.S. populations and limited in their evaluation of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. PURPOSE: To examine the associations among underweight (along with overweight and obese) and various CVD risk factors in a national sample of U.S. adults (aged ≥20 years). METHODS: Ten years of data (1999-2010) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used (analyzed in 2014). Underweight (tertiles); overweight (25-29.9); and obesity (three classes: 30-34.9, 35-39.9, and ≥40) were assessed from measured BMI. The evaluated biological and anthropometric markers included waist circumference; mean arterial pressure; C-reactive protein (CRP); fasting low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol; total cholesterol; fasting triglycerides; and fasting glucose. RESULTS: After adjustments, underweight adults had significantly (p<0.005) lower levels of CRP (ß=-0.12, Tertile 2); total cholesterol (ß=-17.7 and -12.2, Tertiles 1 and 3); total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (ß=-0.39 and -0.46, Tertiles 2 and 3); LDL cholesterol (ß=-20.7, Tertile 1); and triglycerides (ß=-37.1 and -18.0, Tertiles 1 and 3) compared to normal-weight individuals. The severely underweight and obese were less likely to be physically active than normal-weight adults (p<0.001). Adults in each of the overweight and obese groups had higher levels for each biomarker compared to normal-weight individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Underweight adults have lower (i.e., more favorable) levels of various CVD biomarkers.

Association of Concurrent Healthy Eating and Regular Physical Activity With Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in U.S. Youth.

PURPOSE: Examine whether concurrently consuming a healthy diet and regularly being physically active among U.S. youth is more favorably associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers than other physical activity and dietary patterns. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: United States (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) 2003-2006. SUBJECTS: Two thousand six hundred twenty-nine youth (6-17 years). MEASURES: Healthy Eating Index (HEI), accelerometer-determined physical activity, biomarkers, and anthropometry. Four categories were created: consuming a healthy diet (top 40% of HEI) and active (sufficient to meet guidelines); unhealthy diet and active; healthy diet and inactive; and unhealthy diet and inactive. ANALYSIS: Multivariable regression. RESULTS: Children consuming a healthy diet and who were active had significantly lower waist circumference (ß = -5.5, p < .006), C-reactive protein (CRP) (ß = -.2, p < .006), and triglycerides (ß = -27.9, p < .006) than children consuming an unhealthy diet and who were inactive. Children engaging in both healthy behaviors had significantly lower CRP (ß = -.11, p < .001) and total cholesterol levels (ß = -7.8, p = .004) than those only engaging in sufficient activity; there were no significant differences in biomarker levels among children engaging in both healthy behaviors and those only consuming a healthy diet. No associations were significant for adolescents. CONCLUSION: Concurrent healthy eating and regular physical activity among children is favorably associated with CVD biomarkers when compared with unhealthy diet and inactivity.

Assessing arsenic exposure from consumption of seafood from Vieques-Puerto Rico: a pilot biomonitoring study using different biomarkers.

The various toxic effects associated with inorganic arsenic (iAs) warrants that exposure sources be identified. This pilot study evaluated if greater seafood consumption from Vieques-Puerto Rico is associated with increased exposure to iAs. Nail, hair, and urine samples were used as biomarkers of iAs exposure in adult women and men from Vieques classified as high (n = 31) and low (n = 21) seafood consumers, who reported eating fish and/or shellfish ≥1 time per week and once per month or less, respectively. The sum of urinary iAs (As III + As V), monomethylarsonic acid (MA[V]), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA[V]), denoted as SumAs, fluctuated from 3.3 µg/g Cr (1.2 µg/L) to 42.7 µg/g Cr (42 µg/L) (n = 52). Levels of As in nail samples (n = 49) varied from 0.04 to 0.82 µg/g dry weight (dw), whereas in hair (n = 49) As was only detected in 49 % of the samples with a maximum value of 0.95 µg/g dw. None of the biomarkers of exposure to As exceeded exposure reference values for urine (50 µg/g Cr or 50 µg/L), nails (1 µg/g), or hair (1 µg/g). However, median (10.0 µg/g Cr; 10.6 µg/L) and 95th percentile (31.9 µg/g Cr; 40.4 µg/L) of urinary SumAs were higher in Vieques samples than in the those from the general population of other countries. Among the three biomarkers of exposure, nail samples reflected better the exposure to iAs from seafood consumption with significantly higher average As concentrations in high (0.24 µg/g) than low (0.12 µg/g) seafood consumers. Multivariate results for As in nail samples (R(2) = 0.55, p < 0.0001) showed a positive association with fish consumption, particularly for men, with levels increasing with years of residency in Vieques.

Does obesity associate with mortality among Hispanic persons? Results from the National Health Interview Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between BMI: kg/m(2) and mortality among Hispanic adults. DESIGN AND METHODS: Eight years (1997-2004) of National Health Interview Survey data linked to public-use mortality follow-up data through 2006 were acquired. Using Cox proportional hazards regression, separate models for two attained age strata (18 to <60 years, ≥60 years) adjusting for sex, smoking, and physical activity with over 38,000 analyzable respondents were fit. RESULTS: Among those aged ≥60 years, underweight (BMI ≤ 18.5) associated with elevated mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.19; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.38-3.46), whereas overweight (BMI of 25 to <30) and obesity grade 1 (BMI of 30 to <35) associated with reduced mortality (HRs = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65-0.95 and 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56-0.91), respectively. There were no significant associations between BMI and mortality among the 18 to <60 years attained age strata or among never smokers for either age strata. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity are not obviously associated with elevated mortality among Hispanic adults.

Lower nutritional status and higher food insufficiency in frail older US adults.

Frailty is a state of decreased physical functioning and a significant complication of ageing. We examined frailty, energy and macronutrient intake, biomarkers of nutritional status and food insufficiency in US older adult (age ≥ 60 years) participants of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n 4731). Frailty was defined as meeting ≥ 2 and pre-frailty as meeting one of the following four-item criteria: (1) slow walking; (2) muscular weakness; (3) exhaustion and (4) low physical activity. Intake was assessed by 24 h dietary recall. Food insufficiency was self-reported as 'sometimes' or 'often' not having enough food to eat. Analyses were adjusted for sex, race, age, smoking, education, income, BMI, other co-morbid conditions and complex survey design. Prevalence of frailty was highest among people who were obese (20·8 %), followed by overweight (18·4 %), normal weight (16·1 %) and lowest among people who were underweight (13·8 %). Independent of BMI, daily energy intake was lowest in people who were frail, followed by pre-frail and highest in people who were not frail (6648 (se 130), 6966 (se 79) and 7280 (se 84) kJ, respectively, P< 0·01). Energy-adjusted macronutrient intakes were similar in people with and without frailty. Frail (adjusted OR (AOR) 4·7; 95 % CI 1·7, 12·7) and pre-frail (AOR 2·1; 95 % CI 0·8, 5·8) people were more likely to report being food insufficient than not frail people. Serum albumin, carotenoids and Se levels were lower in frail adults than not frail adults. Research is needed on targeted interventions to improve nutritional status and food insufficiency among frail older adults, while not necessarily increasing BMI.

Differences in demographic, behavioral, and biological variables between those with valid and invalid accelerometry data: implications for generalizability.

BACKGROUND: The exclusion of participants with invalid accelerometry data (IAD) may lead to biased results and/or lack of generalizability in large population studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether demographic, behavioral, and biological differences occur between those with IAD and valid accelerometry data (VAD) among adults using a representative sample of the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population. METHODS: Ambulatory participants from NHANES (2003-2004) who were 20-85 years of age were included in the current study and wore an ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer for 7 days. A "valid person" was defined as those with 4 or more days of at least 10+ hrs of monitoring per day. Among adults (20-85 yrs), 3088 participants provided VAD and 987 provided IAD. Demographic, behavioral, and biological information were obtained from the household interview or from data obtained in a mobile examination center. RESULTS: Differences were observed in age, BMI, ethnicity, education, smoking status, marital status, use of street drugs, current health status, HDL-cholesterol, C-reactive protein, self-reported vigorous physical activity, and plasma glucose levels between those with VAD and IAD. CONCLUSIONS: Investigators should take into consideration the potential cut-off bias in interpreting results based on data that excludes IAD participants.

The relationship of actigraph accelerometer cut-points for estimating physical activity with selected health outcomes: results from NHANES 2003-06.

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of child and adult cut-points on physical activity (PA) intensity, the prevalence of meeting PA guidelines, and association with selected health outcomes. Participants (6,578 adults > or = 18 years, and 3,174 children and adolescents < or = 17 years) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-06 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2006) wore an accelerometer for 7 days. PA intensity was estimated with 5 child-derived and 12 adult-derived cut-points. For all, the cut-point influenced PA intensity and the prevalence of meeting PA guidelines. Similarly, cut-point selection influenced the relationship between physical activity and various health outcomes. Future research should further enhance meaningful cut-points relevant to populations with diverse health and age profiles.

Risk of cancer among Hispanics with AIDS compared with the general population in Puerto Rico: 1987-2003.

BACKGROUND: The risk of cancer among Hispanics with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the United States and Puerto Rico (PR) has not been well described. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of AIDS related and non-AIDS related cancers among Hispanics with AIDS in PR. METHODS: A probabilistic record linkage of the PR AIDS Surveillance Program and PR Central Cancer Registry databases was conducted. AIDS cases were grouped according to year of AIDS onset and antiretroviral therapy availability: 1987-1989 (limited availability), 1990-1995 (mono and dual therapy), and 1996-2003 (highly active antiretroviral therapy: HAART). Cancer risk was described using the standardized incidence ratios (SIR). RESULTS: A total of 612 cancers were identified after 3 months of AIDS diagnosis: 409 (66.7%) AIDS related and 203 (33.1%) non-AIDS related. Although a decreasing trend in the risk of AIDS and non-AIDS related cancers was observed, the risk for both remained higher in the AIDS group compared to the general population in PR. Non-AIDS related cancers with higher risk during the HAART availability were: oropharyngeal, anal, liver, larynx, eye and orbit, Hodgkin lymphoma, and vaginal. CONCLUSION: Hispanics with AIDS in PR consistently showed a greater risk of AIDS and non-AIDS related cancers compared to the general population in PR and that has not changed over time.