Patterns of participation in summer programming among United States' elementary children from low-income urban households: Results from the project SWEAT study.

Food insecurity increases among marginalized children during the summer when school is out of session. Summer programming that offers access to healthy meals and snacks may reduce the risk. There is a national call in the US for more research to assure equitable access to summer programming. The objective of this prospective observational study was to characterize patterns of participation in summer programming among elementary children from low-income urban neighborhoods of metropolitan[Blinded]. Summer programming was broadly defined (e.g., church, school, recreation center, community center). Caregivers(n = 100) received weekly text messages via TextIt during the summer (Jun-Aug 2017). They were asked: "How many days this week did [ChildName] attend a summer program? Please respond with a number from 0 to 5, where 0 - no days, 2 - 2 days, etc." Weekly counts were summed. Stepwise logistic and linear regression models were conducted to examine differences in patterns of attendance according to key sociodemographic characteristics. Mean age was 7.03 ± 0.23. 52 % identified as female, 70 % were low-income, and 80.0 % identified as Black. 51 % attended summer programming at least once; 49 % never attended. Those who attended at least once vs. not at all were more likely to be male(p < 0.01); 62.75 % males vs. 37.25 % females attended summer programming at least once, whereas 67.35 % females compared to 32.65 % males never attended. Overall mean attendance was 10.40 ± 1.43 days(out of 50). Mean + SE attendance was lower for females (7.52 + 1.76) vs. males (13.52 + 2.21)(p < 0.05), and non-Black (4.30 + 1.97) vs. Black (11.93 + 1.67)(p = 0.01) children. Future research is needed to understand barriers to participation in summer programming.

Caregiver Nutritional Health Outcomes of the Simple Suppers Study: Results from a 10 Week, Two-Group Quasi-Experimental Family Meals Intervention.

Individuals from racial minority backgrounds, especially those in low income situations, are at increased risk for obesity. Family meals positively impact child nutritional health; however, there is limited evidence examining the impact on caregivers, particularly racial minority and income-restricted individuals. The objective of this intervention study was to determine the effect of Simple Suppers, a 10 week family meals program, on caregiver diet and nutrition outcomes. Intervention versus waitlist control participants were compared from baseline (T0) to post-intervention (T1). In addition, intervention participants were assessed at a 10 week follow-up time point (T2). This study was a two-group quasi-experimental intervention trial. Lessons (10 total) were delivered on a weekly basis for 90 min. Data were collected from intervention and waitlist control participants at T0 and T1, and intervention participants at T2. After baseline (T0) data collection, families enrolled in the immediate upcoming session of Simple Suppers (intervention group) or waited for 10 weeks (waitlist control group) to begin the program. Participants were caregivers of children ages 4-10 years. This study was conducted in a faith-based community center for underserved families in Columbus, Ohio. Primary outcomes were: diet quality assessed by Healthy Eating Index (HEI) total and component scores, and total energy intake (kcal/day); body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2), waist circumference (cm), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) (mmHG); and self-efficacy for having healthy meals and menu planning (both scalar). The impact of the intervention (T0:T1) was assessed using generalized mixed-effects linear regression models. Maintenance of change in study outcomes among intervention participants (T1:T2) was examined with paired t-tests. 109 caregivers enrolled in this study. The retention rate at T1 was 90% (i.e., 98 participants). 56 of 68 intervention participants completed T2, resulting in a retention rate of 82%. Almost all (99%) were female, 61% were Black, and 50% were between 31 and 40 years old. In total, 40% had low income and 37% had low or very low food security. At T1, intervention vs. waitlist controls had a lower daily energy intake (p = 0.04), but an HEI-2010 component score for fatty acids (adequacy) that was lower indicating a lower dietary intake of fatty acids (p = 0.02), and a component score for empty calories (moderation) that was significantly lower indicating a higher intake of empty calorie foods (p = 0.03). At T1, intervention vs. waitlist controls also had a lower BMI (p < 0.001) and systolic BP (p = 0.04), and higher self-efficacy (p = 0.03). There were no group differences in other outcomes. At T2, intervention participants maintained the changes in daily energy intake, BMI, systolic BP, and self-efficacy that improved during the intervention period. There was no change (improvement) in the component score for fatty acids; however, the component score for empty calories significantly improved (p = 0.02). Engagement in the Simple Suppers program led to improvements in caregivers' daily caloric intake, weight status, systolic blood pressure, and self-efficacy for family meals. Future research should further explore the dietary and nutritional health benefits of family meals among caregivers at the highest risk for obesity.

Molecular survey for mosquito-transmitted viruses: detection of Tensaw virus in north central Florida mosquito populations.

A bunyavirus surveillance was performed in 2,600 pools consisting of 45,728 mosquitoes collected in north-central Florida from May 2006 to April 2007. Fifteen mosquito pools were found to be virus-positive from the total 2,600 mosquito pools tested (0.6% infection rate), which resulted in a minimum infection rate of 0.33 per 1,000 mosquitoes. Sequence data identified the virus to be Tensaw virus, a member of the Bunyaviridae family. All the virus-positive samples were obtained from pools collected from May to October 2006, in 3 of the 4 major locations studied, revealing the presence of Tensaw virus in north-central Florida mosquito populations in 2006.