Association between home availability and vegetable consumption in youth: a review.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review literature examining the association between vegetable home availability and vegetable intake in youth. DESIGN: Articles were identified through December 2012 using a search of PubMed, PsychINFO and OVID/Medline databases, using the following keywords in varying combinations: home, environment, availability, vegetable, intake, consumption, children. Quantitative studies examining home vegetable availability and vegetable intake in children and adolescents were included. Fifteen studies were included that met inclusion criteria. SETTING: Studies were conducted in the USA (n 8), Australia (n 1), Greece (n 1), Iceland (n 1), Denmark (n 1), the UK (n 1), the Netherlands (n 1) and a combination of nine European countries (n 1). SUBJECTS: Various populations of children and adolescents were examined. RESULTS: Seven of the studies (47 %) found a positive association between vegetable availability and intake, with the others reporting null findings. There were no clear patterns of association by study design, age of subjects included, comprehensiveness of measures, or inclusion of covariates in analyses. Child report of home availability was associated with child vegetable intake (n 6, all found a positive association), while parent report of home availability was only minimally associated (n 9, one found a positive association; P=0.001 from post hoc Fisher's exact test comparing parent v. child report). CONCLUSIONS: Parent perception of availability may be closer to truth, given the parental role in food shopping and preparation. Therefore, to impact child vegetable intake, absolute availability may not be as important as child perception of vegetables in the home. Child perception of availability may be altered by level of familiarity with vegetables.

School-based health center access, reproductive health care, and contraceptive use among sexually experienced high school students.

PURPOSE: The current analyses compared receipt of reproductive health care, contraceptive use, and screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) among adolescents who are sexually experienced, with or without access to a school clinic. METHODS: A total of 12 urban California high schools, selected from areas with high teen pregnancy and STD rates, half with school-based health centers (SBHCs), participated in an intervention study designed to improve sexual health among adolescents. Of the participating students, 44% indicated that they had ever had intercourse and were included in these analyses. RESULTS: Access to an SBHC did not influence receipt of reproductive health care for either males or females and did not influence contraceptive use, either hormonal or condoms, for males. For females, however, those with access to an SBHC had increased odds of having received pregnancy or disease prevention care (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16-1.80), having used hormonal contraceptives at last sex (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.24-2.28), and were more likely to have ever been screened for an STD (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI = 1.43-2.40). Also among female students, those with access to an SBHC were more likely to have used emergency contraception at last sex (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.08-4.22). CONCLUSION: Although access to an on-site clinic does not seem to lead to increases in all types of reproductive care in the population as a whole, sexually active females are more likely to have received more specific care and to have used hormonal contraceptives if their school has an SBHC.