Learning and Developing Individual Exercise Skills (L.A.D.I.E.S.) for a Better Life: A Church-Based Physical Activity Intervention - Baseline Participant Characteristics.

OBJECTIVE: Physical activity (PA) is beneficial for health, yet most African American women do not achieve recommended levels. Successful, sustainable strategies could help to address disparities in health outcomes associated with low levels of PA. The Learning and Developing Individual Exercise Skills (L.A.D.I.E.S.) for a Better Life study compared a faith-based and a secular intervention for increasing PA with a self-guided control group. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This cluster randomized, controlled trial was conducted from 2010 - 2011 in African American churches (n=31) in suburban North Carolina. Participants were 469 self-identified low active African American women. MEASURES: Baseline data were collected on participant demographics, objective and self-reported PA, and constructs related to social ecological theory and social cognitive theory. RESULTS: Complete baseline data were available for 417 participants who were aged 51.4 ± 12.9 years, with average BMI (kg/m2) 35.8 ± 9.9; 73% of participants were obese (BMI >30). Participants averaged 3,990 ± 1,828 pedometer-assessed daily steps and 23.9 ± 37.7 accelerometer-assessed minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous PA, and self-reported 25.4 ± 45.4 minutes of weekly walking and moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA. Baseline self-reported religiosity and social support were high. CONCLUSIONS: L.A.D.I.E.S. is one of the largest PA trials focused on individual behavior change in African American women. Baseline characteristics suggest participants are representative of the general population. Findings from the study will contribute toward understanding appropriate strategies for increasing PA in high-risk populations.

A community-based intervention to prevent obesity beginning at birth among American Indian children: study design and rationale for the PTOTS study.

Eating and physical activity behaviors associated with adult obesity have early antecedents, yet few studies have focused on obesity prevention interventions targeting very young children. Efforts to prevent obesity beginning at birth seem particularly important in populations at risk for early-onset obesity. National estimates indicate that American Indian (AI) children have higher rates of overweight and obesity than children of other races/ethnicities. The Prevention of Toddler Obesity and Teeth Health Study (PTOTS) is a community-partnered randomized controlled trial designed to prevent obesity beginning at birth in AI children. PTOTS was developed to test the effectiveness of a multi-component intervention designed to: promote breastfeeding, reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, appropriately time the introduction of healthy solid foods, and counsel parents to reduce sedentary lifestyles in their children. A birth cohort of 577 children from five AI tribes is randomized by tribe to either the intervention (three tribes) or the comparison condition (two tribes). The strengths and weaknesses of PTOTS include a focus on a critical growth phase, placement in the community, and intervention at many levels, using a variety of approaches.

Community-responsive interventions to reduce cardiovascular risk in American Indians.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations bear a heavy burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and they have the highest rates of risk factors for CVD, such as cigarette smoking, obesity, and diabetes, of any U.S. population group. Yet, few randomized controlled trials have been launched to test potential preventive interventions in Indian Country. Five randomized controlled trials were initiated recently in AI/AN communities to test the effectiveness of interventions targeting adults and/or children to promote healthy behaviors that are known to impact biological CVD risk factors. This article provides a context for and an overview of these five trials. The high burden of CVD among AI/AN populations will worsen unless behaviors and lifestyles affecting CVD risk can be modified. These five trials, if successful, represent a starting point in addressing these significant health disparities.

Poor physical health predicts time to additional breast cancer events and mortality in breast cancer survivors.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life has been hypothesized to predict time to additional breast cancer events and all-cause mortality in breast cancer survivors. METHODS: Women with early-stage breast cancer (n=2967) completed the SF-36 (mental and physical health-related quality of life) and standardized psychosocial questionnaires to assess social support, optimism, hostility, and depression prior to randomization into a dietary trial. Cox regression was performed to assess whether these measures of quality of life and psychosocial functioning predicted time to additional breast cancer events and all-cause mortality; hazard ratios were the measure of association. RESULTS: There were 492 additional breast cancer events and 301 deaths occurred over a median 7.3 years (range: 0.01-10.8 years) of follow-up. In multivariate models, poorer physical health was associated with both decreased time to additional breast cancer events and all-cause mortality (p trend=0.005 and 0.004, respectively), while greater hostility predicted additional breast cancer events only (p trend=0.03). None of the other psychosocial variables predicted either outcome. The hazard ratios comparing persons with poor (bottom two quintiles) to better (top three quintiles) physical health were 1.42 (95% CI: 1.16, 1.75) for decreased time to additional breast cancer events and 1.37 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.74) for all-cause mortality. Potentially modifiable factors associated with poor physical health included higher body mass index, lower physical activity, lower alcohol consumption, and more insomnia (p<0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Interventions to improve physical health should be tested as a means to increase time to additional breast cancer events and mortality among breast cancer survivors.

The TOTS community intervention to prevent overweight in American Indian toddlers beginning at birth: a feasibility and efficacy study.

Excess weight gain in American Indian/Alaskan native (AI/AN) children is a public health concern. This study tested (1) the feasibility of delivering community-wide interventions, alone or in combination with family-based interventions, to promote breastfeeding and reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages; and (2) whether these interventions decrease Body Mass Index (BMI)-Z scores in children 18-24 months of age. Three AI/AN tribes were randomly assigned to two active interventions; a community-wide intervention alone (tribe A; n = 63 families) or community-wide intervention containing a family component (tribes B and C; n = 142 families). Tribal staff and the research team designed community-tailored interventions and trained community health workers to deliver the family intervention through home visits. Feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and BMI-Z scores at 18-24 months were compared between tribe A and tribes B & C combined using a separate sample pretest, posttest design. Eighty-six percent of enrolled families completed the study. Breastfeeding initiation and 6-month duration increased 14 and 15%, respectively, in all tribes compared to national rates for American Indians. Breastfeeding at 12 months was comparable to national data. Parents expressed confidence in their ability to curtail family consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Compared to a pretest sample of children of a similar age 2 years before the study begun, BMI-Z scores increased in all tribes. However, the increase was less in tribes B & C compared to tribe A (-0.75, P = 0.016). Family, plus community-wide interventions to increase breastfeeding and curtail sugar-sweetened beverages attenuate BMI rise in AI/AN toddlers more than community-wide interventions alone.

Dental caries in American Indian toddlers after a community-based beverage intervention.

OBJECTIVE/SETTING: The Toddler Overweight and Tooth Decay Prevention Study (TOTS) was an overweight and early childhood caries (ECC) project in the Pacific Northwest. It targeted American Indian (AI) toddlers from birth, to effect changes in breastfeeding and sweetened beverage consumption. DESIGN/INTERVENTION/PARTICIPANTS: The intervention cohort was children born in three communities during 12 months; expectant mothers were identified through prenatal visits, and recruited by tribal coordinators. The local comparison cohorts were children in those communities who were aged 18-30 months at study start. A control longitudinal cohort consisted of annual samples of children aged 18-30 months in a fourth community, supplying secular trends. OUTCOME MEASURES: d1-2mfs was used to identify incident caries in intervention, comparison, and control cohorts after 18-to-30 months of follow-up in 2006. RESULTS: No missing or filled teeth were found. For d1t, all three intervention cohorts showed statistically significant downward intervention effects, decreases of between 0.300 and 0.631 in terms of the fraction of affected mouths. The results for d2t were similar but of smaller magnitudes, decreases of between 0.342 and 0.449; these results met the .05 level for significance in two of three cases. In light of an estimated secular increase in dental caries in the control site, all three intervention cohorts showed improvements in both d1t and d1t. CONCLUSION: Simple interventions targeting sweetened beverage availability (in combination with related measures) reduced high tooth decay trends, and were both feasible and acceptable to the AI communities we studied.

Effect of a free prepared meal and incentivized weight loss program on weight loss and weight loss maintenance in obese and overweight women: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States remains high. Commercial weight loss programs may contribute to efforts to reduce the prevalence of overweight and obesity, although few studies have examined their efficacy in controlled trials. OBJECTIVE: To test whether a free prepared meal and incentivized structured weight loss program promotes greater weight loss and weight loss maintenance at 2 years compared with usual care. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A randomized controlled trial of weight loss and weight loss maintenance in 442 overweight or obese women (body mass index, 25-40) aged 18 to 69 years (mean age, 44 years) conducted at US institutions over 2 years with follow-up between November 2007 and April 2010. INTERVENTION: The program, which involves in-person center-based or telephone-based one-to-one weight loss counseling, was available over a 2-year period. Behavioral goals were an energy-reduced, nutritionally adequate diet, facilitated by the inclusion of prepackaged food items in a planned menu during the initial weight loss phase, and increased physical activity. Participants assigned to usual care received 2 individualized weight loss counseling sessions with a dietetics professional and monthly contacts. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Weight loss and weight loss maintenance. RESULTS: Weight data were available at 24 months for 407 women (92.1% of the study sample). In an intent-to-treat analysis with baseline value substitution, mean weight loss was 7.4 kg (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.1-8.7 kg) or 7.9% (95% CI, 6.5%-9.3%) of initial weight at 24 months for the center-based group, 6.2 kg (95% CI, 4.9-7.6 kg) or 6.8% (95% CI, 5.2%-8.4%) for the telephone-based group, and 2.0 kg (95% CI, 0.6-3.3 kg) or 2.1% (95% CI, 0.7%-3.5%) for the usual care control group after 24 months (P < .001 for intervention effect). CONCLUSION: Compared with usual care, this structured weight loss program resulted in greater weight loss over 2 years. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00640900.

Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee.

Improving diet and lifestyle is a critical component of the American Heart Association's strategy for cardiovascular disease risk reduction in the general population. This document presents recommendations designed to meet this objective. Specific goals are to consume an overall healthy diet; aim for a healthy body weight; aim for recommended levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides; aim for normal blood pressure; aim for a normal blood glucose level; be physically active; and avoid use of and exposure to tobacco products. The recommendations are to balance caloric intake and physical activity to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight; consume a diet rich in vegetables and fruits; choose whole-grain, high-fiber foods; consume fish, especially oily fish, at least twice a week; limit intake of saturated fat to <7% of energy, trans fat to <1% of energy, and cholesterol to <300 mg/day by choosing lean meats and vegetable alternatives, fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1% fat) dairy products and minimize intake of partially hydrogenated fats; minimize intake of beverages and foods with added sugars; choose and prepare foods with little or no salt; if you consume alcohol, do so in moderation; and when you eat food prepared outside of the home, follow these Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations. By adhering to these diet and lifestyle recommendations, Americans can substantially reduce their risk of developing cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States.

Reductions in dietary energy density are associated with weight loss in overweight and obese participants in the PREMIER trial.

BACKGROUND: Dietary energy density (ED) reductions are associated with energy intake (EI) reductions. Little is known about influences on body weight (BW). OBJECTIVES: We examined the effects of behavioral interventions on ED values and explored how 6-mo ED changes relate to BW. DESIGN: Prehypertensive and hypertensive persons were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: the established group received an 18-session intervention implementing well-established hypertension recommendations (eg, weight loss, sodium reduction, and physical activity), the established+Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) group received an 18-session intervention also implementing the DASH diet, and the advice group received 1 session on these topics. Two 24-h dietary recalls were collected (n=658). RESULTS: Each group had significant declines in EI, ED, and BW. The established and established+DASH groups had the greatest EI and BW reductions. The established+DASH group had the greatest ED reduction and the greatest increase in the weight of food consumed. When groups were combined and analyzed by ED change tertiles, participants in the highest tertile (ie, largest ED reduction) lost more weight (5.9 kg) than did those in the middle (4.0 kg) or lowest (2.4 kg) tertile. Participants in the highest and middle tertiles increased the weight of food they consumed (300 and 80 g/d, respectively) but decreased their EI (500 and 250 kcal/d). Conversely, those in the lowest tertile decreased the weight of food consumed (100 g/d), with little change in EI. The highest and middle tertiles had favorable changes in fruit, vegetable, vitamin, and mineral intakes. CONCLUSION: Both large and modest ED reductions were associated with weight loss and improved diet quality.

Acceptability of sodium-reduced research diets, including the Dietary Approaches To Stop Hypertension diet, among adults with prehypertension and stage 1 hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: Examine the acceptability of sodium-reduced research diets. DESIGN: Randomized crossover trial of three sodium levels for 30 days each among participants randomly assigned to one of two dietary patterns. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Three hundred fifty-four adults with prehypertension or stage 1 hypertension who were participants in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH-Sodium) outpatient feeding trial. INTERVENTION: Participants received their assigned diet (control or DASH, rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products), each at three levels of sodium (higher, intermediate, and lower) corresponding to 3,500, 2,300, and 1,200 mg/day (150, 100, and 50 mmol/day) per 2,100 kcal. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nine-item questionnaire on liking and willingness to continue the assigned diet and its level of saltiness using a nine-point scale, ranging from one to nine. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Generalized estimating equations to test participant ratings as a function of sodium level and diet while adjusting for site, feeding cohort, carryover effects, and ratings during run-in. RESULTS: Overall, participants rated the saltiness of the intermediate level sodium as most acceptable (DASH group: 5.5 for intermediate vs 4.5 and 4.4 for higher and lower sodium; control group: 5.7 for intermediate vs 4.9 and 4.7 for higher and lower sodium) and rated liking and willing to continue the DASH diet more than the control diet by about one point (ratings range from 5.6 to 6.6 for DASH diet and 5.2 to 6.1 for control diet). Small race differences were observed in sodium and diet acceptability. CONCLUSIONS: Both the intermediate and lower sodium levels of each diet are at least as acceptable as the higher sodium level in persons with or at risk for hypertension.

Expanding the obesity research paradigm to reach African American communities.

Obesity is more prevalent among African Americans and other racial and ethnic minority populations than among whites. The behaviors that determine weight status are embedded in the core social and cultural processes and environments of day-to-day life in these populations. Therefore, identifying effective, sustainable solutions to obesity requires an ecological model that is inclusive of relevant contextual variables. Race and ethnicity are potent stratification variables in U.S. society and strongly influence life contexts, including many aspects that relate to eating and physical activity behaviors. This article describes a synthesis initiated by the African American Collaborative Obesity Research Network (AACORN) to build and broaden the obesity research paradigm. The focus is on African Americans, but the expanded paradigm has broader implications and may apply to other populations of color. The synthesis involves both community and researcher perspectives, drawing on and integrating insights from an expanded set of knowledge domains to promote a deeper understanding of relevant contexts. To augment the traditional, biomedical focus on energy balance, the expanded paradigm includes insights from family sociology, literature, philosophy, transcultural psychology, marketing, economics, and studies of the built environment. We also emphasize the need for more attention to tensions that may affect African American or other researchers who identify or are identified as members of the communities they study. This expanded paradigm, for which development is ongoing, poses new challenges for researchers who focus on obesity and obesity-related health disparities but also promises discovery of new directions that can lead to new solutions.

Influence of a diet very high in vegetables, fruit, and fiber and low in fat on prognosis following treatment for breast cancer: the Women's Healthy Eating and Living (WHEL) randomized trial.

CONTEXT: Evidence is lacking that a dietary pattern high in vegetables, fruit, and fiber and low in total fat can influence breast cancer recurrence or survival. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether a major increase in vegetable, fruit, and fiber intake and a decrease in dietary fat intake reduces the risk of recurrent and new primary breast cancer and all-cause mortality among women with previously treated early stage breast cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Multi-institutional randomized controlled trial of dietary change in 3088 women previously treated for early stage breast cancer who were 18 to 70 years old at diagnosis. Women were enrolled between 1995 and 2000 and followed up through June 1, 2006. INTERVENTION: The intervention group (n = 1537) was randomly assigned to receive a telephone counseling program supplemented with cooking classes and newsletters that promoted daily targets of 5 vegetable servings plus 16 oz of vegetable juice; 3 fruit servings; 30 g of fiber; and 15% to 20% of energy intake from fat. The comparison group (n = 1551) was provided with print materials describing the "5-A-Day" dietary guidelines. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Invasive breast cancer event (recurrence or new primary) or death from any cause. RESULTS: From comparable dietary patterns at baseline, a conservative imputation analysis showed that the intervention group achieved and maintained the following statistically significant differences vs the comparison group through 4 years: servings of vegetables, +65%; fruit, +25%; fiber, +30%, and energy intake from fat, -13%. Plasma carotenoid concentrations validated changes in fruit and vegetable intake. Throughout the study, women in both groups received similar clinical care. Over the mean 7.3-year follow-up, 256 women in the intervention group (16.7%) vs 262 in the comparison group (16.9%) experienced an invasive breast cancer event (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.96; 95% confidence interval, 0.80-1.14; P = .63), and 155 intervention group women (10.1%) vs 160 comparison group women (10.3%) died (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-1.15; P = .43). No significant interactions were observed between diet group and baseline demographics, characteristics of the original tumor, baseline dietary pattern, or breast cancer treatment. CONCLUSION: Among survivors of early stage breast cancer, adoption of a diet that was very high in vegetables, fruit, and fiber and low in fat did not reduce additional breast cancer events or mortality during a 7.3-year follow-up period. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00003787.

Prepare, a randomized trial to promote and evaluate weight loss among overweight and obese women planning pregnancy: Study design and rationale.

BACKGROUND: Women who are overweight or have obesity at pregnancy onset, and those who gain excessive weight during pregnancy, are at increased risk of pregnancy-related complications and large for gestational age infants. OBJECTIVE: This report describes methodology for the Prepare study, a randomized, controlled clinical trial testing a preconception and pregnancy weight management program for women who are overweight or have obesity (BMI≥27kg/m(2)). OUTCOMES: This trial examines multiple pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, with the primary outcome being gestational weight gain (GWG). Secondary outcomes include change in weight before conception, offspring birth weight adjusted for gestational age, offspring weight for length, and pregnancy diet quality and physical activity level. METHODS: Nonpregnant women who anticipate becoming pregnant in the next 2years are randomly assigned to an intervention program or a usual care control condition. Intervention participants receive weight management counseling by telephone before and during pregnancy, with weekly contacts during the first 6months and monthly contacts for the next 18months. Intervention participants also have unlimited access to a study website that provides self-management tools. All participants who become pregnant are contacted at 20weeks' gestation to assess physical activity levels and dietary habits. All other outcome data are obtained from medical records. Intervention satisfaction is assessed via questionnaire. SUMMARY: This clinical trial tests the efficacy of an intervention program designed to help overweight and obese women achieve healthy lifestyle changes that will result in a healthy weight prior to pregnancy and appropriate weight gain during pregnancy.

One-year postpartum outcomes following a weight management intervention in pregnant women with obesity.

OBJECTIVE: This analysis was focused on 1-year maternal and infant follow-up of a randomized trial that tested a weight management intervention conducted during pregnancy. METHODS: One hundred fourteen women with obesity (mean BMI 36.7 kg/m(2) ) were randomly assigned at a mean of 15 weeks gestation to a weight management intervention or usual care control condition. The intervention ended at delivery and resulted in less gestational weight gain and a lower proportion of large-for-gestational-age newborns among intervention compared with control participants. The primary outcome at 12 months postpartum was maternal weight. Secondary outcomes included infant weight-for-age and weight-for-length z-scores. RESULTS: At 1 year, mothers in the intervention group weighed 96.3 ± 18.6 kg and those in the control group 99.7 ± 19.2 kg. There was no significant difference between groups in change in weight from randomization to 1 year postpartum (b = -0.47, 95% CI: -4.03 to 3.08). There was a significant main effect of group for infant weight-for-age z-scores (b = -0.40, 95% CI: -0.75 to -0.05) but not infant weight-for-length z-scores (b = -0.20, 95% CI: -0.59 to 0.20). CONCLUSIONS: A gestational weight management intervention did not influence maternal weight or infant weight-for-length at 1 year postpartum. Future studies may be warranted to determine whether extending prenatal interventions into the postpartum period would be beneficial for maternal and infant outcomes.

Estimation of energy requirements in a controlled feeding trial.

BACKGROUND: Estimating energy requirements is a frequent task in clinical studies. OBJECTIVE: We examined weight patterns of participants enrolled in a clinical trial and evaluated factors that may affect weight stabilization. The Harris-Benedict equation and the FAO/WHO equation, used in conjunction with physical activity levels estimated with the 7-d Physical Activity Recall, were compared for estimating energy expenditure. DESIGN: This was a multicenter, randomized controlled feeding trial with participants of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Trial. For 11 wk, the amount of food participants received was adjusted to maintain their body weights as close to their initial weights as possible. Change-point regression techniques were used to identify weight-stable periods. Factors related to achieving weight stabilization were examined with logistic regression. RESULTS: A stable weight was achieved by 86% of the 448 participants during the run-in period and by 78% during the intervention period. Energy intake averaged 11 +/- 2.4 MJ/d (2628 +/- 578 kcal/d), with most participants (n = 270) requiring 9-13 MJ/d (2100-3100 kcal/d). The difference between predicted and observed intakes was highest at high estimated energy intakes, mainly because of high and probably incorrect estimates of the activity factor. Participants with lower energy intakes tended to need less adjustment of their energy intakes to maintain a stable weight than did participants with higher energy intakes. CONCLUSIONS: Weight stabilization is not affected by diet composition, sex, race, age, or baseline weight. Either the Harris-Benedict equation or the FAO/WHO equation can be used to estimate energy needs. Activity factors > 1.7 often lead to overestimation of energy needs.

Randomized trial of a brief dietary intervention to decrease consumption of fat and increase consumption of fruits and vegetables.

PURPOSE: This study tested the efficacy of a computer-assisted counseling intervention to reduce diet-related cancer risk. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SUBJECTS: Healthy women HMO members (n = 616) aged 40 to 70. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to nutrition intervention or an attention-control intervention unrelated to diet. Intervention consisted of two 45-minute counseling sessions plus two 5- to 10-minute follow-up telephone contacts. Counseling sessions included a 20-minute, interactive, computer-based intervention using a touchscreen format. Intervention goals were reducing dietary fat and increasing consumption of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. MEASURES: Twenty-four hour diet recalls and the Fat and Fiber Behavior Questionnaire (FFB). RESULTS: Four-month follow-up data were collected from 94% of the intervention participants and 91% of the controls. Testing with a multivariate general linear models analysis showed improvements on all dietary outcome variables. Compared to the control, intervention participants reported significantly less fat consumption (2.35 percentage points less for percentage of energy from fat), significantly greater consumption of fruit and vegetables combined (1.04 servings per day), and a significant reduction in a behavioral measure of fat consumption (.24 point change in the FFB). CONCLUSIONS: These 4-month results are comparable to several other moderate-intensity studies showing that, in the appropriate circumstances, moderate-intensity dietary interventions can be efficacious. Study limitations include the short follow-up period and the use of self-reported outcome measures.

Steps to soulful living (steps): a weight loss program for African-American women.

BACKGROUND: The disproportionate disease burden experienced by African-American women can be explained partially by the higher rates of obesity in this population. African-American women who can benefit from weight loss may be less likely to attempt it and may have relatively less success in using traditional weight loss programs compared to White women. Steps to Soulful Living (Steps) was a pilot study to test the effects of a culturally adapted weight loss program on weight loss in African-American women. METHODS: Sixty-six African-American women participated in a 6-month weight loss program that included weekly group meetings and supervised exercise sessions. Mean baseline body mass index was 39 kg/m2, and mean baseline weight was 107 kg. Cultural adaptations, defined as program adjustments, made in response to women's preferences as expressed in focus group interviews included changes in intervention format, the content of the group meetings, and the location and format of the exercise sessions. RESULTS: Seventy-six percent of the participants attended at least 50% of the 26 weekly sessions, and 56% attended at least 75% of the sessions. Average hours of exercise per week approximately doubled during the program in comparison to baseline levels. Mean weight loss at 26 weeks was 3.7 kg, categorizing those who were lost to follow-up as having zero weight loss. Participants who attended at least 75% of the group meetings lost a mean of 6.2 kg at six months. Those who attended fewer meetings lost a mean of 0.9 kg. CONCLUSIONS: This 6-month program was associated with relatively larger weight losses, particularly among participants with high attendance, than have usually been observed in culturally adapted programs for African-American women.

The DASH diet for high blood pressure: from clinical trial to dinner table.

Three recent studies show that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lowfat dairy products and low in fat, refined carbohydrates, and sodium can lower blood pressure either alone or in combination with other lifestyle changes. These studies have greatly expanded our knowledge of nonpharmacologic interventions to prevent and manage hypertension. They also underscore the need for diet and lifestyle counseling in the primary care setting.

Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs that can influence infant feeding practices in American Indian mothers.

The promotion of healthy infant feeding is increasingly recognized as an important obesity-prevention strategy. This is relevant for American Indian populations that exhibit high levels of obesity and low compliance with infant feeding guidelines. The literature examining the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs surrounding infant feeding within the American Indian population is sparse and focuses primarily on breastfeeding, with limited information on the introduction of solid foods and related practices that can be important in an obesity-prevention context. This research presents descriptive findings from a baseline knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs questionnaire on infant feeding and related behaviors administered to mothers (n=438) from five Northwest American Indian tribes that participated in the Prevention of Toddler Overweight and Teeth Health Study (PTOTS). Enrollment occurred during pregnancy or up to 6 months postpartum. The knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs questionnaire focused on themes of breastfeeding/formula feeding and introducing solid foods, with supplemental questions on physical activity. Knowledge questions were multiple choice or true/false. Attitudes and beliefs were assessed on Likert scales. Descriptive statistics included frequencies and percents and means and standard deviations. Most women knew basic breastfeeding recommendations and facts, but fewer recognized the broader health benefits of breastfeeding (eg, reducing diabetes risk) or knew when to introduce solid foods. Women believed breastfeeding to be healthy and perceived their social networks to agree. Attitudes and beliefs about formula feeding and social support were more ambivalent. This work suggests opportunities to increase the perceived value of breastfeeding to include broader health benefits, increase knowledge about solid foods, and strengthen social support.