Qualitative exploration of cultural factors influencing diet among African-, Caribbean- and US-born Blacks living in the northeast USA.

Limited research considers the ethnic and cultural diversity among the US Black population, and how this diversity influences diet. The purpose of the present qualitative study is to (1) explore the influence of culture, nativity and ethnicity on the diet of US-born, African-born and Caribbean/Latin American-born Blacks and (2) explore a model of dietary acculturation among the African-born and Caribbean/Latin American-born Blacks. The purposive sample included twenty-two US-born, fifteen Caribbean/Latin American-born and ten African-born Blacks (n 47) living in Boston, who participated in either an in-depth interview (n 12) or a focus group (five groups, size 5-9). Satia-Abouta's model of dietary acculturation informed the interview and focus group questions, which explored the influence of psychosocial factors, taste preferences and environmental factors on dietary changes. NVivo 10 software was utilised for the coding and analysis. Topics based on a priori and posteriori analyses included differences in psychosocial factors and taste preferences and environmental factors by nativity. Caribbean/Latin American-born and African-born Blacks expressed the importance of cultural identity in their dietary preferences and found adaptive strategies to maintain cultural diet, while US-born Blacks demonstrated a variety of preferences for traditionally African American foods. Environmental factors varied by place of birth and residence, with US-born Blacks citing poorer quality and limited affordability of foods. These findings suggest the importance of psychosocial and environmental factors in shaping the diet of the ethnically diverse US Black population and underscore the dietary diversity within and across the different ethnic groups of Blacks.

Effect of Structured Physical Activity and Nutritional Supplementation on Physical Function in Mobility-Limited Older Adults: Results from the VIVE2 Randomized Trial.

OBJECTIVES: The interactions between nutritional supplementation and physical activity on changes in physical function among older adults remain unclear. The primary objective of this study was to examine the impact of nutritional supplementation plus structured physical activity on 400M walk capacity in mobility-limited older adults across two sites (Boston, USA and Stockholm, Sweden). DESIGN: All subjects participated in a physical activity program (3x/week for 24 weeks), involving walking, strength, balance, and flexibility exercises. Subjects were randomized to a daily nutritional supplement (150kcal, 20g whey protein, 800 IU vitamin D) or placebo (30kcal, non-nutritive). SETTING: Participants were recruited from urban communities at 2 field centers in Boston MA USA and Stockholm SWE. PARTICIPANTS: Mobility-limited (Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) ≤9) and vitamin D insufficient (serum 25(OH) D 9 - 24 ng/ml) older adults were recruited for this study. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome was gait speed assessed by the 400M walk. RESULTS: 149 subjects were randomized into the study (mean age=77.5±5.4; female=46.3%; mean SPPB= 7.9±1.2; mean 25(OH)D=18.7±6.4 ng/ml). Adherence across supplement and placebo groups was similar (86% and 88%, respectively), and was also similar across groups for the physical activity intervention (75% and 72%, respectively). Both groups demonstrated an improvement in gait speed with no significant difference between those who received the nutritional supplement compared to the placebo (0.071 and 0.108 m/s, respectively (p=0.06)). Similar effects in physical function were observed using the SPPB. Serum 25(OH)D increased in supplemented group compared to placebo 7.4 ng/ml versus 1.3 ng/ml respectively. CONCLUSION: Results suggest improved gait speed following physical activity program with no further improvement with added nutritional supplementation.

Accelerometer Assessment of Physical Activity and Its Association with Physical Function in Older Adults Residing at Assisted Care Facilities.

OBJECTIVES: To describe levels of physical activity among older adults residing at assisted care facilities and their association with physical function. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. SETTING: Assisted care facilities within the greater Boston, MA area. PARTICIPANTS: Older adults aged 65 years and older (N = 65). MEASUREMENTS: Physical Activity Level (PAL) as defined by quartiles from accelerometry (counts and steps), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) Score, gait speed, and handgrip strength. RESULTS: Participants in the most active accelerometry quartile engaged in 25 minutes/week of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and walked 2,150 steps/day. These individuals had an SPPB score, 400 meter walk speed, and handgrip strength that was 3.7-3.9 points, 0.3-0.4 meters/second, and 4.5-5.1 kg greater respectively, than individuals in the lowest activity quartile, who engaged in less than 5 min/wk of MVPA or took fewer than 460 steps/day. CONCLUSION: Despite engaging in physical activity levels far below current recommendations (150 min/week of MVPA or > 7000 steps/day), the most active older adults in this study exhibited clinically significant differences in physical function relative to their less active peers. While the direction of causality cannot be determined from this cross-sectional study, these findings suggest a strong association between PAL and physical function among older adults residing in an assisted care facility.

An intervention to increase fruit and vegetable consumption using audio communications: in-store public service announcements and audiotapes.

Consumers make an estimated 70% of their food purchase decisions as they shop. Effective presentation of information about healthier food selections at the point-of-purchase should have an impact on their decisions. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of two audio formats on knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about fruits and vegetables and on intake of these foods. Participants identified as "regular shoppers" (n = 374) in three intervention stores were recruited as they entered. They provided baseline demographic data, answered questions about their knowledge and beliefs about fruits and vegetables, and completed a checklist to assess fruit and vegetable intake. They were given two one-hour audiotapes and asked to play them within the next four weeks. In-store public service announcements (PSAs) with information about fruits and vegetables were rotated every 30 minutes for four weeks. A control group (n = 378), recruited in three other stores matched by demographic characteristics, provided the same information. They received an audiotape with stress reduction information. At posttest, the original series of questionnaires were readministered in telephone interviews with 87.7% of the original intervention group and 93.7% of the original control group. Knowledge scores in the intervention group increased significantly over baseline and as compared with the control group. Self-reported fruit and vegetable intake increased significantly in both groups, perhaps in part because of a seasonal effect. The increase from baseline was significantly higher in the intervention group and compared with controls. These findings support the further exploration of the use of audiotapes in nutrition education interventions.

Induction of heme oxygenase-1 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells. A link to endotoxic shock.

Endotoxic shock is a life-threatening consequence of severe Gram-negative infection characterized by vascular smooth muscle cell relaxation and severe hypotension. The production of nitric oxide (NO), through the inducible NO synthase pathway, has been implicated as a major contributor in this process. We now demonstrate that heme oxygenase (HO), an enzyme that generates carbon monoxide (CO) in the course of heme metabolism, may also be involved in the hemodynamic compromise of endotoxic shock. Inducible HO (HO-1) mRNA levels are dramatically increased in aortic tissue from rats receiving endotoxin, and this increase in vascular HO-1 message is associated with an 8.9-fold increase in HO enzyme activity in vivo. Immunocytochemical staining localizes an increase in HO-1 protein within smooth muscle cells of both large (aorta) and small (arterioles) blood vessels. Furthermore, zinc protoporphyrin IX, an inhibitor of HO activity, abrogates endotoxin-induced hypotension in rats. Studies performed in rat vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro show that the induction of HO-1 mRNA is regulated at the level of gene transcription, and this induction is independent of NO production. Taken together, these studies suggest that the up-regulation of HO-1, and the subsequent production of CO, contributes to the reduction in vascular tone during endotoxic shock.

Molecular cloning, characterization, and promoter analysis of the mouse Crp2/SmLim gene. Preferential expression of its promoter in the vascular smooth muscle cells of transgenic mice.

Several members of the LIM protein family have important roles in development and differentiation. We recently isolated a rat cDNA encoding a new member of this family, CRP2/SmLIM, that contains two LIM domains and is expressed preferentially in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). To study the molecular mechanisms that regulate VSMC-specific transcription of the Crp2/SmLim gene, we cloned the cDNA and gene of mouse Crp2/SmLim. Mouse Crp2/SmLim is a single copy gene of six exons and five introns spanning approximately 20 kilobases of genomic DNA. By 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends and S1 nuclease protection assay, we determined that the transcription start site is an A residue 80 base pairs 5' of the translation initiation codon. A TATA-like sequence is located 27 base pairs 5' of the transcription start site, and there are potential cis-acting elements (GATA, Sp1, AP-2, E box, CCAC box, and GArC motif) in the 5'-flanking sequence. In transient transfection assays in rat aortic smooth muscle cells in primary culture, 5 kilobases of the Crp2/SmLim 5'-flanking sequence generated a high level of luciferase reporter gene activity. By deletion analysis and gel mobility shift assay, we found that the region between bases -74 and -39 of this 5 kilobase DNA fragment binds Sp1 and confers basal promoter activity in the Crp2/SmLim gene. In vitro, the 5-kilobase fragment was active in multiple cell types. In vivo, however, the 5-kilobase fragment directed high level expression of the lacZ reporter gene preferentially in the VSMC of transgenic mice, indicating the presence of VSMC-specific element(s) in this fragment.

Human EZF, a Krüppel-like zinc finger protein, is expressed in vascular endothelial cells and contains transcriptional activation and repression domains.

Members of the erythroid Krüppel-like factor (EKLF) multigene family contain three C-terminal zinc fingers, and they are typically expressed in a limited number of tissues. EKLF, the founding member, transactivates the beta-globin promoter by binding to the CACCC motif. EKLF is essential for expression of the beta-globin gene as demonstrated by gene deletion experiments in mice. Using a DNA probe from the zinc finger region of EKLF, we cloned a cDNA encoding a member of this family from a human vascular endothelial cell cDNA library. Sequence analysis indicated that our clone, hEZF, is the human homologue of the recently reported mouse EZF and GKLF. hEZF is a single-copy gene that maps to chromosome 9q31. By gel mobility shift analysis, purified recombinant hEZF protein bound specifically to a probe containing the CACCC core sequence. In co-transfection experiments, we found that sense but not antisense hEZF decreased the activity of a reporter plasmid containing the CACCC sequence upstream of the thymidine kinase promoter by 6-fold. In contrast, EKLF increased the activity of the reporter plasmid by 3-fold. By fusing hEZF to the DNA-binding domain of GAL4, we mapped a repression domain in hEZF to amino acids 181-388. We also found that amino acids 91-117 of hEZF confer an activation function on the GAL4 DNA-binding domain.