Implementation of a food scholarship program improves nutrient intake and dietary quality of college students.

Objective: To determine the impact of a new food scholarship program on nutrient intake and dietary quality. Participants: College students (n = 49), female (78%), single (76%), average age 28 years, and white (49%). Methods: Fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat products and nonperishable foods were distributed twice a month. A one-group pretest post-test intervention compared baseline and 10 weeks data. Food security was measured and three-day food records assessed nutrient intake, Health Eating Index (HEI)-2015 (total and component) scores, and food group servings. Paired t-test at baseline and 10 weeks were performed (SPSS v25) (p < 0.05). Results: Prevalence of food insecurity did not change (baseline 53%, 10 weeks 47%). Protein, (p = 0.001), niacin (p = 0.002), magnesium (p = 0.034), phosphorous (p = 0.039), potassium (p = 0.019), and vegetable servings (p = 0.034) intake increased. Total HEI-2015 scores remained unchanged but HEI-2015 vegetable scores increased (p = 0.023). Conclusion: Increased intake of some nutrients and vegetable servings were achieved with the food scholarship program.

Anxiety Sensitivity and Fast-Food Ordering Habits Among Black Adults.

BACKGROUND: Black adults experience high rates of overweight/obesity, which is linked to chronic diseases and is exacerbated by fast-food consumption. Anxiety sensitivity, a relative stable fear of anxiety-related sensations, has been linked to high caloric intake. Here, we examine whether anxiety sensitivity is associated with fast-food ordering habits within a convenience sample of Black adults. METHODS: Of 124 adults (79.4% women; Mage=49.3±11.6; 84.8% overweight/obese), 107 (86.3%) reported eating from a fast-food restaurant in the last month. Participants completed the Anxiety Sensitivity-Index 3, which has a total score and physical, cognitive, and social concerns subscales. Investigator-generated items queried frequency of ordering "supersized" quantities of fast-food (e.g., cheeseburgers, fries), and healthy items (e.g., salads, oatmeal, yogurt), respectively, from "never" to "always." Covariate-adjusted ordinal logistic regression models were used to assess relations between measures of interest. RESULTS: Anxiety sensitivity (total and physical concerns) was associated with greater odds of more frequently ordering supersized unhealthy fast-food; and anxiety sensitivity (total and cognitive concerns) was associated with lower odds of more frequently ordering healthy items from fast-food restaurants. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that adults with greater anxiety sensitivity may engage in fast-food ordering habits that can contribute to the overweight/obesity epidemic. Future studies should replicate results and determine the potential for anxiety sensitivity-reduction interventions to affect dietary choices that contribute to overweight/obesity.

Organizational Characteristics and Readiness for Tobacco-Free Workplace Program Implementation Moderates Changes in Clinician's Delivery of Smoking Interventions within Behavioral Health Treatment Clinics.

BACKGROUND: Smoking is elevated amongst individuals with behavioral health disorders, but not commonly addressed. Taking Texas Tobacco Free is an evidence-based, tobacco-free workplace program that addresses this, in-part, by providing clinician training to treat tobacco use in local mental health authorities (LMHAs). This study examined organizational moderators of change in intervention delivery from pre- to post-program implementation. METHODS: LMHA leaders completed the Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC) and provided organization demographics pre-implementation. Clinicians (N = 1237) were anonymously surveyed about their consistent use of the 5As (Asking about smoking; Advising clientele to quit; Assessing willingness to quit; Assisting them to quit; Arranging follow-up) pre- and post-program implementation. Adjusted generalized linear mixed models were used for analyses (responses nested within LMHAs), with interaction terms used to assess moderation effects. RESULTS: Clinician delivery of 5As increased pre- to post-implementation (p < .001). LMHAs with fewer employees (ref = ≤300) demonstrated greater increases in Asking, Assessing, and Assisting over time. LMHAs with fewer patients (ref = ≤10 000) evinced greater changes in Asking over time. Less initial ORIC Change Efficacy, Change Commitment, and Task Knowledge were each associated with greater pre- to post-implementation changes in Asking. Less initial Task Knowledge was associated with greater increases in Advising, Assessing, and Assisting. Finally, less initial Resource Availability was associated with greater increases in Assisting (all moderation term ps < .025). CONCLUSION: The smallest and least ready LMHAs showed the largest gains in tobacco cessation intervention delivery; thus, low initial readiness was not a barrier for program implementation, particularly when efficacy-building training and resources are provided. IMPLICATIONS: This study examined organizational moderators of increases in tobacco cessation treatment delivery over time following the implementation of a comprehensive tobacco-free workplace program within 20 of 39 LMHAs across Texas (hundreds of clinics; servicing >50% of the state) from 2013 to 2018. Overall, LMHAs with fewer employees and patients, and that demonstrated the least initial readiness for change, evinced greater gains in intervention delivery. Findings add to dissemination and implementation science by supporting that low initial readiness was not a barrier for this aspect of tobacco-free workplace program implementation when resources and clinician training sessions were provided.

Association of Fear and Mistrust with Stress Among Sheltered Homeless Adults and the Moderating Effects of Race and Sex.

In shelter settings, homeless individuals often congregate and sleep in proximity to one another, with limited secure places for belongings: a living environment that may engender perceived vulnerability to victimization. Fear of victimization and mistrust of others in the shelter environment may result in greater stress, and racial minority residents and women may be particularly affected. Here, we aimed to examine the associations between fear, mistrust, and fear and mistrust, and stress among sheltered homeless adults, and explore moderation by race and sex. Data were from a convenience sample of adults from a homeless shelter in Dallas, TX (N = 225; 67% black; 27% women). Participants completed the fear and mistrust scale and the urban life stressors scale. Linear regressions were used to measure associations of fear, mistrust, and fear and mistrust with stress, adjusted for age, education, sex, race, history of schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder, and discrimination. Moderation was assessed with interaction terms. Adjusted results indicated that fear, mistrust, fear and mistrust was positively associated with stress (p < 0.001). Race, but not sex, was a significant moderator of associations between fear and stress, whereby black adults with high levels of fear were more likely than white adults to experience high stress levels. Thus, although more research is needed, results suggest that interventions aimed at reducing fear of victimization may reduce stress for black adults. Given the association of stress with myriad undesirable health outcomes that can further exacerbate known health disparities, further work in this area is critical. Future research should investigate environmental sources of fear to provide further direction for interventions.

Depression, perceived social control, and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function in African-American adults.

OBJECTIVE: Social determinants may negatively affect health via Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction. The potential contribution of social determinants and related factors to HPA-axis functioning is important to study among African American adults, who are more likely to experience societal inequities and health disparities relative to other racial/ethnic groups. This study examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived social control on HPA-axis functioning among African American adults. METHOD: Participants (N = 107; Mage = 50, 79% female) were administered measures including the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression and Informal (neighborhood) Social Control. Study procedures included the provision of 6 saliva samples for cortisol analysis (at wakeup, 30- and 90-min post-wakeup, 2:00 PM, 5:00 PM, and prebedtime). The relationship between depression and social control on the functioning of the HPA-axis were simultaneously examined within a 2-level hierarchical linear model. RESULTS: Variability in the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) was accounted for by depressive symptomatology (p = .023) and perceived social control (p = .016), whereby greater depression was associated with a blunted CAR (less awakening cortisol production) and greater perceptions of neighborhood social control with a higher CAR. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated depressive symptoms and low perceptions of neighborhood social control may serve as mechanisms that help to explain within-group variability in the functioning of stress physiology among African American adults. Findings enhance understanding of how social determinants may affect African Americans' health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Characterizing Discrimination Experiences by Race among Homeless Adults.

Objectives: Among domiciled samples, racial discrimination is a known stressor linked with poorer quality of life. However, homeless adults may be particularly vulnerable to discrimination due to multiple factors beyond race. In this study, we characterized perceived discrimination and its reported impact on quality of life in a sample of adults who were homeless. Methods: Homeless adults recruited from Oklahoma City self-reported their socio-demographics, past discrimination experiences, and their impact on quality of life via the MacArthur Major Experiences of Discrimination Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and frequencies were used to characterize perceived discrimination experiences and impact. Racial differences were examined using ANO- VAs/Kruskal-Wallis tests and chi-square tests. Results: Discrimination experiences attributed to homelessness were common and consistent between the races. Black adults perceived significantly more lifetime discrimination experiences than white adults, and attributed the majority to race. Relative to Whites and American Indians, black adults were more likely to endorse links between discrimination and having a harder life. Conclusions: Results suggest that black homeless adults may represent the most vulnerable racial subgroup for hardships in life as a conse- quence of perceived discrimination among homeless adults.

Exploratory factor analysis of The Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) in a low-income hispanic sample of preschool aged children.

The Comprehensive Feeding Practices Questionnaire (CFPQ) is an important measure to assess parent feeding practices as it encompasses a broad range of feeding behaviors, not just behaviors negatively associated with child weight outcomes. However, parent feeding practices have been shown to differ across ethnicities and the CFPQ has not been tested among low-income, Hispanic-American parents with preschool-aged children, a group at elevated risk for developing obesity. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed with the present Hispanic-American sample of Head Start mothers with preschoolers to confirm the original 12-factor, 49-item structure of the CFPQ. Because the original factor structure was not confirmed in the present Hispanic-American sample, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the CFPQ in this sample (n = 187). Among this sample, a five-factor model with 34 items was found to more appropriately assess parent feeding practices than the original 12-factor, 49-item CFPQ. This study provides preliminary validation of the CFPQ for use among low income, Hispanic-American families. Although future research is needed to replicate findings among a larger sample, this study takes an important first step toward more accurately assessing parent feeding practices among this high-risk population to inform tailored interventions that aim to reduce economic and ethnic disparities in child obesity.

Videogames That Encourage Healthy Behavior Did Not Alter Fasting Insulin or Other Diabetes Risks in Children: Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Previous research indicates games for health have substantial promise in promoting change in children's diet and physical activity (PA) behavior for obesity and diabetes prevention, but the research has generally not been rigorous. The study reported here was an efficacy trial of two role-playing videogames played in sequence, "Escape from Diab" (hereinafter called Diab) and "Nanoswarm: Invasion from Inner Space" (hereinafter called Nano), on diabetes and obesity risk factors: fasting insulin and body mass index (BMI), and risk-related behaviors: diet, PA, and sedentary behavior (SB). Design: A two-group (treatment vs. wait list control) randomized clinical trial was used with baseline, immediate postintervention (∼3 months postbaseline), and 2 months postassessments. Intervention: Diab and Nano were desktop or laptop role-playing videogames with nine sessions (each episode/session lasting ∼60 minutes). Two storylines attempted to immerse players and used ethnically diverse characters to model desired behaviors. Tailored goal setting, problem solving, and motivational statements were used. Methods: A sample of 200 overweight or obese children (ages 10-12 years from 85th to 99th BMI percentile [%ile]) was recruited, primarily using a volunteer list. Fasting insulin was the primary dependent variable. BMI, fruit, vegetable and sweetened beverage intakes, PA, and SBs were secondary outcomes. Generalized linear mixed models were used to test for the treatment effects. Results: No significant differences were detected in any of the tested outcome variables. Conclusions: The lack of differences may indicate that games cannot change dietary behaviors and thereby not change-related clinical outcomes. Alternatively, there seem to have been changes in (1) the types of videogames children expect and like to play since a pilot study was conducted, (2) productization challenges, and/or (3) problems in staff management of the trial. All may have contributed to the lack of effect.

The buffering effect of social support on the relationship between discrimination and psychological distress among church-going African-American adults.

Discrimination is a pervasive stressor among African-American adults. Social support is an important protective factor for psychological distress, especially among minority populations. Although a number of studies have examined social support in relation to discrimination, little research has examined how social support may serve as an important protective factor against both physical and psychological symptoms related to overall psychological distress within this group. The current study examined social support as a moderator of the relationship between discrimination and overall psychological distress as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory among a community sample of 122 African-American church-going adults. Results indicated that social support buffered the associations of discrimination and overall psychological distress (p < 0.0001) in expected directions. Findings highlight the importance of cultivating strong social relationships to attenuate the effects of this social determinant on mental health disparities among this group.

The costs and calorie content of à la carte food items purchased by students during school lunch.

School environments influence student food choices. À la carte foods and beverages are often low nutrient and energy dense. This study assessed how much money students spent for these foods, and the total kilocalories purchased per student during the 2012-2013 school year. Six elementary and four intermediate schools in the Houston area provided daily food purchase transaction data, and the cost and the calories for each item. Chi-square analysis assessed differences in the number of students purchasing à la carte items by grade level and school free/reduced-price meal (FRP) eligibility. Analysis of covariance assessed grade level differences in cost and calories of weekly purchases, controlling for FRP eligibility. Intermediate grade students spent significantly more on à la carte food purchases and purchased more calories (both p < 0.001) than elementary school students. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) elementary and intermediate school students purchased fewer à la carte foods compared to those in higher SES schools (p < 0.001). Intermediate school students purchased more à la carte foods and calories from à la carte foods than elementary students. Whether the new competitive food rules in schools improve student food selection and purchase, and dietary intake habits across all grade levels remains unknown.

Mommio's Recipe Box: Assessment of the Cooking Habits of Mothers of Preschoolers and Their Perceptions of Recipes for a Video Game.

BACKGROUND: Vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet because they help prevent several chronic diseases. Mothers of preschoolers reported difficulty getting their young children to eat vegetables, and many did not know how to cook child-pleasing recipes. OBJECTIVE: The cooking habits of mothers of preschoolers, their perceptions of recipes designed for their children, and the involvement of their children in food preparation were assessed to inform a food parenting video game called Mommio. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Eligibility criteria included mothers of 3- to 5-year-old children who reported difficulty getting their children to eat vegetables. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire with questions about their food preparation practices. They were asked to select up to 4 of the 10 provided recipes they wanted to try and to prepare and report back on their experiences. RESULTS: Most (46) of the 50 recipes included in Mommio's in-game recipe box were evaluated at least once and some up to 5 times with a total of 85 evaluations. This well-educated, mostly employed, sample of 27 mothers of preschoolers preferred simple, quick recipes. They ate primarily at home, made dinners from scratch, and indicated that the 46 recipes were generally simple, quick, and easy to prepare. Involvement in preparation enhanced their child's acceptance of the food. Prior food and preparation preferences influenced the children's acceptance of the dish at the ensuing meal. CONCLUSIONS: The high rate of home recipe preparation indicated that including a recipe selection and preparation component in a food parenting video game could be attractive and may enhance effectiveness. Mothers reported that the recipes provided were generally easy to prepare, tasted good, and the instructions were easy to understand, suggesting they could be helpful to the mothers when playing a vegetable parenting game. Some mothers reported that involving their children in recipe preparation influenced their children's willingness to eat the vegetables. The highest rated recipes are being included in the game, and mothers will be encouraged to involve their children in recipe preparation.

Item response modeling: a psychometric assessment of the children's fruit, vegetable, water, and physical activity self-efficacy scales among Chinese children.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of four self-efficacy scales (i.e., self-efficacy for fruit (FSE), vegetable (VSE), and water (WSE) intakes, and physical activity (PASE)) and to investigate their differences in item functioning across sex, age, and body weight status groups using item response modeling (IRM) and differential item functioning (DIF). METHODS: Four self-efficacy scales were administrated to 763 Hong Kong Chinese children (55.2% boys) aged 8-13 years. Classical test theory (CTT) was used to examine the reliability and factorial validity of scales. IRM was conducted and DIF analyses were performed to assess the characteristics of item parameter estimates on the basis of children's sex, age and body weight status. RESULTS: All self-efficacy scales demonstrated adequate to excellent internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α: 0.79-0.91). One FSE misfit item and one PASE misfit item were detected. Small DIF were found for all the scale items across children's age groups. Items with medium to large DIF were detected in different sex and body weight status groups, which will require modification. A Wright map revealed that items covered the range of the distribution of participants' self-efficacy for each scale except VSE. CONCLUSIONS: Several self-efficacy scales' items functioned differently by children's sex and body weight status. Additional research is required to modify the four self-efficacy scales to minimize these moderating influences for application.

Outcome Evaluation of Family Eats.

This article presents the results of a randomized clinical trial evaluating the eight-session Family Eats web-based intervention promoting healthy home food environments for African American families. African American families ( n = 126) with 8- to 12-year-old children completed online baseline questionnaires and were randomized into intervention or control groups. Data collection occurred at baseline, immediately postintervention (Post 1), and 4 months later (Post 2), for parents and children, separately. There were two group by time intervention effects: Control group parents reported a significantly greater frequency of drinking 100% fruit juice at Post 1 compared with intervention group parents. Parent menu planning skills were significantly higher at Post 2 for the intervention group compared with the control group. Significant positive changes overtime were noted for both groups for home fruit/vegetable availability, food preparation practices, and healthy restaurant selection. Intervention group children reported a significant increase in home juice availability at Post 1 compared with the control group; home fruit availability improved for both groups. There was no difference in log on rates by group: 84% and 86% for those who completed Post 1 and Post 2 measurements, respectively. Sixty-four participants completed the evaluation survey: 17 control (50%) and 47 intervention (51%) participants. All participants reported liking the program components; all but one gave it an A or B grade. An Internet-delivered nutrition intervention for families was successful in achieving change in some mediating variables, with good log on rates. Future research with Family Eats should include larger sample sizes, with longer follow-up and a more objective measure of diet.

Younger Elementary School Students Waste More School Lunch Foods than Older Elementary School Students.

BACKGROUND: Children may not receive nutritional benefits from school lunch meals if they do not eat the foods served. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether there were differences in school lunch foods consumed and wasted by grade level of elementary school students. DESIGN: In this cross-sectional study, anonymous meal observations were conducted after students selected their reimbursable school lunch meals in the cafeteria lunch line. The amounts of foods selected and consumed were recorded using the quarter waste method and food waste was calculated using the information recorded. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: During the spring of 2013, eight elementary schools (50% low income) enrolling children in kindergarten through grade 5 in one school district in the Houston, TX, area were selected by the Child Nutrition Director. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The amount of calories and foods consumed and the percentage wasted were assessed. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Analysis of covariance and post hoc analysis were used to examine food consumption and plate waste by grade level (kindergarten and grade 1 [K-Gr1], grades 2 and 3 [Gr2-3], and grades 4 and 5 [Gr4-5]), controlling for student sex and school-level free/reduced priced meal eligibility. RESULTS: There were 568 nonrandom lunch meal observations of students included in the analyses. Approximately 48% of the observations were from boys; 50% were from low-income schools, and were evenly divided by grade. In general, students in K-Gr1 consumed fewer calories than both Gr2-3 and Gr4-5, and Gr2-3 students consumed significantly fewer calories than Gr4-5. K-Gr1 students also consumed less and wasted more total and red-orange vegetables, total/whole/refined grains, and total protein foods than the older students. Gr2-3 students wasted more calories and total grains than Gr4-5 students. K-Gr1 students wasted more fruit than Gr2-3 students. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, younger students in elementary schools (K-Gr-1) consumed less of the foods they selected for their lunch meals, and wasted more than older elementary school students. Future studies should investigate why younger children wasted more food and potential strategies to reduce food waste by younger students.

The Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Recall for Children, 2012 Version, for Youth Aged 9 to 11 Years: A Validation Study.

BACKGROUND: Valid methods of diet assessment are important for nutrition research and practice, but can be difficult with children. OBJECTIVE: To validate the 2012 version of the Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Recall for Children (ASA24-Kids-2012), a self-administered web-based 24-hour dietary recall (24hDR) instrument, among children aged 9 to 11 years, in two sites. DESIGN: Quasiexperimental. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: In one site, trained staff members observed and recorded foods and drinks consumed by children (n=38) during school lunch. The next day, the observed children completed both ASA24-Kids-2012 and an interviewer-administered 24hDR in a randomized order. Procedures in a second site (n=31) were similar, except observations occurred during dinner in a community location. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Foods were classified as matches (reported and consumed), intrusions (reported, but not consumed), or omissions (not reported, but consumed) for each participant. Rates of matches, intrusions, and omissions were calculated. Rates were compared between each recall method using repeated measures analysis of covariance. For matched foods, the authors determined correlation coefficients between observed and reported serving sizes. RESULTS: Match, intrusion, and omission rates between ASA24-Kids-2012 and observed intakes in Site 1 were 37%, 27%, and 35%, respectively. Comparable rates for interviewer-administered 24hDRs were 57%, 20%, and 23%, respectively. In Site 2, match, intrusion, and omission rates between ASA24-Kids-2012 and observed intakes were 53%, 12%, and 36%, respectively, vs 76% matches, 9% intrusions, and 15% omissions for interviewer-administered 24hDRs. The relationship strength between reported and observed serving sizes for matched foods was 0.18 in Site 1 and 0.09 in Site 2 for ASA24-Kids-2012, and 0.46 in Site 1 and 0.11 in Site 2 for interviewer-administered 24hDRs. CONCLUSIONS: ASA24-Kids-2012 was less accurate than interviewer-administered 24hDRs when compared with observed intakes, but both performed poorly. Additional research should assess the age at which children can complete recalls without the help of a parent or guardian, as well as elucidate under which circumstances recalls can reasonably be used among children.

Vegetable parenting practices scale. Item response modeling analyses.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of a vegetable parenting practices scale using multidimensional polytomous item response modeling which enables assessing item fit to latent variables and the distributional characteristics of the items in comparison to the respondents. We also tested for differences in the ways item function (called differential item functioning) across child's gender, ethnicity, age, and household income groups. METHOD: Parents of 3-5 year old children completed a self-reported vegetable parenting practices scale online. Vegetable parenting practices consisted of 14 effective vegetable parenting practices and 12 ineffective vegetable parenting practices items, each with three subscales (responsiveness, structure, and control). Multidimensional polytomous item response modeling was conducted separately on effective vegetable parenting practices and ineffective vegetable parenting practices. RESULTS: One effective vegetable parenting practice item did not fit the model well in the full sample or across demographic groups, and another was a misfit in differential item functioning analyses across child's gender. Significant differential item functioning was detected across children's age and ethnicity groups, and more among effective vegetable parenting practices than ineffective vegetable parenting practices items. Wright maps showed items only covered parts of the latent trait distribution. The harder- and easier-to-respond ends of the construct were not covered by items for effective vegetable parenting practices and ineffective vegetable parenting practices, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Several effective vegetable parenting practices and ineffective vegetable parenting practices scale items functioned differently on the basis of child's demographic characteristics; therefore, researchers should use these vegetable parenting practices scales with caution. Item response modeling should be incorporated in analyses of parenting practice questionnaires to better assess differences across demographic characteristics.

Differential Improvements in Student Fruit and Vegetable Selection and Consumption in Response to the New National School Lunch Program Regulations: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate changes in student food selection and consumption in response to the new National School Lunch Program meal patterns during fall 2011. DESIGN: Eight elementary and four intermediate schools in one Houston area school district were matched on free/reduced-price meal eligibility and randomized into control or intervention conditions. INTERVENTION: Both intervention and control school cafeterias served the same menu. The intervention school cafeterias posted the new meal pattern daily; students could select one fruit and two vegetable servings per reimbursable meal. Control school students could only select the previous meal pattern: a total of two fruit and vegetable servings per meal. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Students were observed during lunch: student sex and foods selected/consumed were recorded. Diet analysis software was used to calculate energy/food groups selected/consumed. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel χ² tests examined differences in the percent of students selecting each meal component by condition, controlling for sex, grade, and school free/reduced-price meal eligibility. Analysis of covariance assessed differences in amount of energy/food groups selected and consumed, and differences in percent of food groups consumed. RESULTS: Observations were conducted for 1,149 elementary and 427 intermediate students. Compared with students in the control schools, significantly more intervention elementary and intermediate school students selected total (P<0.001, P<0.05) and starchy vegetables (P<0.001, P<0.01); more intervention intermediate school students selected fruit (P<0.001), legumes (P<0.05), and protein foods (P<0.01). There were significantly greater amounts of these foods selected and consumed, but no differences in the proportion of the foods consumed by condition. Fewer calories were consumed by elementary and intermediate school intervention students. CONCLUSIONS: More intervention students selected fruit and vegetables at lunch and consumed them compared with control condition students. Future studies with larger and more diverse student populations are warranted.

Predicting use of effective vegetable parenting practices with the Model of Goal Directed Behavior.

OBJECTIVE: To model effective vegetable parenting practices using the Model of Goal Directed Vegetable Parenting Practices construct scales. DESIGN: An Internet survey was conducted with parents of pre-school children to assess their agreement with effective vegetable parenting practices and Model of Goal Directed Vegetable Parenting Practices items. Block regression modelling was conducted using the composite score of effective vegetable parenting practices scales as the outcome variable and the Model of Goal Directed Vegetable Parenting Practices constructs as predictors in separate and sequential blocks: demographics, intention, desire (intrinsic motivation), perceived barriers, autonomy, relatedness, self-efficacy, habit, anticipated emotions, perceived behavioural control, attitudes and lastly norms. Backward deletion was employed at the end for any variable not significant at P<0·05. SETTING: Houston, TX, USA. SUBJECTS: Three hundred and seven parents (mostly mothers) of pre-school children. RESULTS: Significant predictors in the final model in order of relationship strength included habit of active child involvement in vegetable selection, habit of positive vegetable communications, respondent not liking vegetables, habit of keeping a positive vegetable environment and perceived behavioural control of having a positive influence on child's vegetable consumption. The final model's adjusted R 2 was 0·486. CONCLUSIONS: This was the first study to test scales from a behavioural model to predict effective vegetable parenting practices. Further research needs to assess these Model of Goal Directed Vegetable Parenting Practices scales for their (i) predictiveness of child consumption of vegetables in longitudinal samples and (ii) utility in guiding design of vegetable parenting practices interventions.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation did not help low income Hispanic women in Texas meet the dietary guidelines.

OBJECTIVE: Low-income Hispanic women are at greater risk for dietary deficiencies and obesity. We assessed the association between Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation and dietary intake among 661 Hispanic women aged 26-44 years living in Texas. METHODS: Cross-sectional data was collected using standard methods. Analysis of variance and logistic regression examined the influence of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on diet after adjusting for household characteristics, body mass index, and food security status. RESULTS: Most women did not meet recommended dietary guidelines. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants consumed higher amounts of total sugars, sweets-desserts, and sugar-sweetened beverages than Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program nonparticipants. High sodium intakes and low dairy consumption were observed in both groups. Only 27% of low-income eligible women received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. DISCUSSION: Low-income Hispanic women participating in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program reported less healthful dietary patterns than nonparticipants. This may contribute to the increased obesity prevalence and related comorbidities observed in this population. CONCLUSION: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program should play an important role in enhancing the overall dietary quality of low-income households. Policy initiatives such as limiting the purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages and education to enable women to reduce consumption of high sodium processed foods deserve consideration as means to improve the dietary quality of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants. Effective measures are needed to increase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation rates among Hispanics.

Correlates of adiposity among Latino preschool children.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is at record high levels in the US and disproportionately affects Latino children; however, studies examining Latino preschool children's obesity-related risk factors are sparse. This study determined correlates of Latino preschoolers' (ages 3-5 years) adiposity to inform future obesity interventions and policies. METHODS: Latino preschoolers (n = 96) from 4 Head Start centers in Houston, Texas were recruited. Parents reported acculturation and neighborhood safety. Children's and parents' height and weight were measured. Children's television (TV) viewing was measured by TV diaries and physical activity by accelerometers. Linear regression was used with body mass index (BMI) z-score as the dependent variable and covariates sequentially added and retained in 4 blocks: 1) child age, gender, parent education, and BMI; 2) neighborhood safety and parent and child acculturation; 3) TV viewing; and 4) moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). RESULTS: In the final model (n = 96), only neighborhood disorder (ß = 0.30, P = .005) and MVPA (ß = -0.21, P = .049) were significantly associated with BMI z-score. CONCLUSIONS: Among Latino preschoolers, higher neighborhood disorder and lower MVPA were associated with greater children's BMI z-scores.