Association of childhood and teen school performance and obesity in young adulthood in the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth.

BACKGROUND: The literature suggests an association between poor school performance and obesity. However, little is known about academic achievement and behavior as possible risk factors for future obesity. METHOD: The analysis was based on data from 3172 participants aged 6 to 25years from the US National Longitudinal Survey conducted 1986 to 2010. Academic achievement, behavior problems and body mass index (BMI) were assessed at childhood (6-9) and teenhood (10-14). Height and weight were self-reported at pre-young adulthood (15-18) and young adulthood (19-25). RESULTS: Based on logistic regression stratified by sex and race/ethnicity, academic and behavioral deficiencies during childhood and teenhood were risk factors for young adult obesity with some sex and ethnic/racial differences. The highest prevalence rates of obesity by race/ethnicity and sex are as follows: black/Hispanic females, those in the lowest quartile of teen reading and math (32.8%); black/Hispanic males, those in lowest quartile of teen reading (26.1%); white males, those in the highest quartile of behavioral problems (21.9%); and white females, those in the lowest quartile teen math (23.2%). CONCLUSION: Poor school performance in childhood and teenhood is associated with an increased risk of adult obesity. Prospective studies should further examine the association of school performance and adult obesity and whether programs directed at improving school performance may have secondary gains in preventing obesity.

Risk of suicide among female adolescents with eating disorders: a longitudinal population-based study.

PURPOSE: Suicide is a major cause of death among individuals with eating disorders. This study examined risk of suicide among females with eating disorders based on population-based military data. METHODS: Data on diagnoses of eating disorders from the pre-induction screening for psychopathology and diagnoses assigned during military service were merged with data on later suicide from the nationwide Israeli Death Registry. We identified 1,356 females with eating disorders and compared their risk of suicide to a population-based control group of females without eating disorders over a mean follow-up period of 8.5 ± 5.34 years. RESULTS: Females with eating disorders had a higher rate of suicide (0.22 %, n = 3) compared to females without eating disorders (0.03 %, n = 166). Having a moderate-severe eating disorder was associated with increased risk of suicide (RR = 12.50, 95 % CI = 3.86-38.09), whereas none of the females diagnosed as having a mild eating disorder died by suicide. CONCLUSIONS: Females with moderate-severe eating disorders are at risk of suicide and should be monitored for suicidal intent.

Violation of digital and analog academic integrity through the eyes of faculty members and students: Do institutional role and technology change ethical perspectives?

This study aimed to address the gap in the literature through a comprehensive comparison of different types of violations of academic integrity (VAI), cheating, plagiarism, fabrication and facilitation (Pavela in J College Univ Law 24(1):1-22, 1997), conducted in analog versus digital settings, as well as students' and faculty members' perceptions regarding their severity. The study explored differences in perceptions regarding students' VAI and penalties for VAI among 1482 students and 42 faculty members. Furthermore, we explored the impact of socio-demographic characteristics (ethnic majority vs. minority students), gender, and academic degree on the perceived severity of VAI. Presented with a battery of scenarios, participants assessed the severity of penalties imposed by a university disciplinary committee. Furthermore, participants selected the penalties they deemed appropriate for violations engaged in by students, including: reprimanding, financial, academic, and accessibility penalties. All participants tended to suggest more severe penalties for VAI conducted in traditional analog environments than for the same offenses in digital settings. Students perceived all four types of penalties imposed by the disciplinary committee to be significantly more severe than faculty members. Moreover, findings demonstrated a significant difference between faculty and students in both perceptions of the severity of VAI and in relation to suggested punishments. Consistent with the Self-Concept Maintenance Model (Mazar et al. in J Mark Res 45(6):633-644, 2008) and Neutralizing Effect (Brimble, in: Bretag (ed) Handbook of academic integrity, SpringerNature, Singapore, pp 365-382, 2016), ethnic minority students estimated cheating, plagiarism, and facilitation violations as more severe than majority students. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

From Enchantment to Disillusion: A Narrative Exploration of Cannabis Use Disorder Among Young Israeli Combat Veterans.

Introduction: Substance use is common among military personnel and war veterans, especially combat veterans. Despite substantially high prevalence of cannabis use and Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) consistently reported among veterans, little is known about psychological factors which may underlie CUD among this population. Methods: In this study, we used narrative analysis in order to interpret retrospective in-depth interviews of combat veterans (N = 12) who were released from mandatory military duty during the past 5 years and currently qualified for a diagnosis of CUD. Participants were recruited from a larger quantitative study were eligible for participation if they screened positive for a diagnosis of CUD according to the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test- Revised (CUDIT-R) questionnaire. CUD diagnosis was validated in-person using the cannabis section of the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-5 (AUDADIS-5) interview protocol. All interviews were transcribed and coded using the content analysis procedure. Findings: Five main themes were extracted: (a) Traumatic events (b) Attitudes toward cannabis use (c) Combatant identity (d) The role of authority/father figures, and (e) Moral crisis. A meta-theme has been identified, "from enchantment to disillusion," representing a gradual psychological shift from a hopeful, highly motivated stance into the current state of mental rupture and moral injury, which are unsuccessfully compensated by excessive use of cannabis. Conclusions: This study shed light on the etiology of CUD among young combat veterans, highlighting the role of supposed self-medication for trauma and sense of betrayal.

The Perspective of a Breast Cancer Patient: A Survey Study Assessing Needs and Expectations.

Background Patient satisfaction is one of the key indicators of health care quality. We aim to identify patient's needs and expectations in a breast cancer clinic to provide patient-centered care and better overall satisfaction.  Methods A 17-item survey was administered to 110 patients at a breast cancer clinic. The survey was designed after a thorough literature review and approved by an oncologist and a palliative care physician.  Results Self-reported knowledge about the disease was reported adequate by 90.9% of our patients yet only 55.45% of our patients could identify the stage of their cancer. More education was desired by 32.7% of patients including various treatment options (29%), common complications (24.5%), prognosis (26.3%) and risk factors (11.8%). The majority of our patients were having some form of cancer-related emotional stress and physical symptoms. The majority of our patients (57.27%) wanted their oncologist to address social/emotional issues and 25.45% felt the need for more focus on physical symptoms in their subsequent visits. End-of-life (EoL) care discussions were considered an integral component of overall care by 29% of our patients. Components of EoL care discussions that patients stated they could benefit from included prognosis (27.27%), life expectancy (29%), the treatment effect on the quality of life (22.7%), palliative care (9%), hospice (10.9%), advance directives (11.8%), and family involvement in medical decision-making (13.6%). There was a difference noted regarding their EoL care discussion based on the stage of cancer. Patients with early-stage disease wanted their oncologists to decide on the frequency of this discussion (72.7%). Patients with advanced disease wanted EoL care discussion to be done more frequently as initiated by them or their oncologist or if there's a change in the treatment plan.  Conclusions A discrepancy between self-reported and actual knowledge in breast cancer patients emphasizes the need for patient education. Most patients rely on their oncologists for their diagnosis-related emotional and social issues. Surprisingly, more than a quarter of our patients consider EoL care discussions important even though the majority of our patients were healthy and having stage I and II disease.

Risk of hospitalization for psychiatric disorders among siblings and parents of probands with psychotic or affective disorders: A population-based study.

Relatives of people diagnosed with psychotic and affective disorders have a higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders compared to the general population. This study examined the risk of hospitalization for psychiatric disorders among siblings and parents of patients affected with major psychiatric disorders. In this large population-based case-control study, 17,895 siblings and parents of 7671 hospitalized subjects with a diagnosis of narrowly defined schizophrenia (SZ), broadly defined SZ, schizoaffective disorder (SAD), bipolar disorder (BD) or unipolar depression (UD) were identified from the Israeli Psychiatric Hospitalization Registry and compared to 71,580 age and gender-matched controls from the Israeli Population Registry. Results indicated that siblings of people diagnosed with broadly defined SZ had a significantly higher risk of hospitalization for broadly (OR=11.06, 95% CI=7.93-15.41) and narrowly defined SZ (OR=10.59, 95% CI=6.8-16.33), SAD (OR=9.69, 95% CI=4.76-19.73), BD (OR=7.46, 95% CI=21.8-25.52), UD (OR=2.84, 95% CI=1.01-8.00), and other psychiatric disorders (OR=1.85, 95% CI=1.16-2.93), compared to controls. Siblings of patients with BD had a significantly higher risk of hospitalization for broadly defined SZ (OR=2.92, 95% CI=1.11-7.71) and for other psychiatric disorders (OR=6.67, 95% CI=2.17-20.50), compared to controls. Parents of probands with SZ were at significantly increased risk for all disorders examined, except for UD and ¨other psychiatric disorders¨, which was not significant in parents of probands with BD. This large, population-based study provides evidence for common genetic risk across different psychiatric disorders.

A Population-Based Longitudinal Study of Symptoms and Signs Before the Onset of Psychosis.

OBJECTIVE: The authors sought to characterize the symptoms of patients later hospitalized for psychotic disorders in primary mental health outpatient settings, and to investigate whether these symptoms can be used to predict later onset of psychotic illness. METHOD: This was a population-based historical prospective cohort study using national registers of clinical psychiatric services. The sample (N=114,983) comprised 18- to 21-year-olds serving in the Israeli military and examined in military mental health outpatient clinics across 72 consecutive months. RESULTS: Overall, 1,092 individuals (0.95%) not diagnosed with a psychotic disorder at the time of examination were hospitalized for nonaffective psychotic disorder up to 9 years after the index examination. A principal components analysis of symptoms presented at index examination found that a symptom cluster of thought disorder, perceptual abnormalities, poor orientation, and suicidality was associated with an increased risk for hospitalization for nonaffective psychotic disorder within 14 days after examination (hazard ratio=45.80, 95% CI=22.87-91.73), 15-111 days after examination, (hazard ratio=19.59, 95% CI=13.08-29.33), 112-365 days after examination (hazard ratio=4.94, 95% CI=2.59-9.40), and 1-3.5 years after examination (hazard ratio=3.42, 95% CI=2.21-5.28), but not for hospitalization 3.5 years or more after examination (hazard ratio=1.57, 95% CI=0.91-2.71). Despite the increased risk, the positive predictive values of this symptom cluster were low, ranging from 0.54% to 1.99%. CONCLUSIONS: In 18- to 21-year-olds, the presence of psychotic symptoms was associated with later hospitalization for a nonaffective psychotic disorder. However, the low positive predictive values of symptoms elicited in primary mental health care settings suggest that symptoms alone are not useful in predicting later hospitalization for nonaffective psychotic disorder.

The distinction between exclusivity and comorbidity within NSSI.

Based on notions posited by problem behavior theory, the primary goal of the current study was to examine the possibility that adolescents who engage in NSSI are not a homogeneous group but are rather divided into 2 subgroups: (a) adolescents who exclusively engage in NSSI, and (b) adolescents who are involved in NSSI alongside other problem behaviors (e.g., drug abuse, unprotected sexual intercourse). Participants were a school sample of 436 adolescents from 6 high schools across Israel, who completed self-report questionnaires during school hours on engagement in NSSI and other problem behaviors, self-esteem, self-criticism, ego clarity, coping strategies, self-efficacy to regulate affect, and sociodemographic information. Findings indicated that 22% of the sample reported engaging in NSSI. Adolescents who reported engaging in NSSI had higher prevalence rates of involvement in other problem behaviors compared to those who did not report engaging in NSSI. However, a comparison between those who exclusively engaged in NSSI and those who were involved in NSSI alongside other problem behaviors indicated that lower ego clarity, lower self-esteem, and poorer self-efficacy to regulate affect, alongside higher self-criticism and greater use of disengagement coping mechanisms characterized exclusive engagement in NSSI. Distinct theoretical models are needed to characterize different forms of NSSI: NSSI, which is an exclusive and singular phenomenon, for which problems related to the self are prominent, versus NSSI, which is accompanied by other problem behaviors. Accordingly, the implications related to school psychologists' work in the assessment, treatment, and prevention of NSSI are suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record

Health and functioning of adolescents conceived by assisted reproductive technology.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the general health, mental health, and cognitive ability of assisted reproductive technology (ART)-conceived adolescents. DESIGN: A nested case-control study within a historic cohort. SETTING: Not applicable. PATIENT(S): A total of 253 ART-conceived adolescents born between 1982 and 1993 and 253 matched references according to birth year, gender, and the high-school they attended. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Medical and psychiatric diagnoses, and cognitive ability recorded at the military preinduction screening (ages 16-17 years) and doctor's appointments throughout the military service. RESULT(S): No differences were detected in general and mental health of ART adolescents or cognitive ability, compared with the reference group. Similar results were obtained after stratification for gender and singleton births. The ART adolescents had fewer cases of discharge from military service due to health reasons (4% vs. 8.3%). Follow-up during the military service revealed that male ART adolescents had significantly more doctor's appointments compared with the reference group (23.80 ± 15.59 vs. 19.95 ± 13.79). CONCLUSION(S): Our preliminary results provide reassurance that in the long-run health and functioning of ART-conceived adolescents is not compromised. Further studies with larger cohorts are needed to confirm these results.

The association between premorbid cognitive ability and social functioning and suicide among young men: A historical-prospective cohort study.

Previous studies have found associations between low cognitive ability and later completed suicide. The aim of this study was to examine the association between cognitive ability and social functioning in adolescence, and later completed suicide in a large population-based longitudinal study. Data from the Israeli Draft Board Register for 634,655 Israeli male adolescents aged 16 and 17 was linked to a causes-of-death data registry, with a mean follow-up of 10.6 years for completed suicide. Our results show that in males without a psychiatric diagnosis, both low (adjusted HR=1.51, 95% CI: 1.19-1.92) and high (adjusted HR=1.36, 95% CI: 1.04-1.77) cognitive ability, and very poor (adjusted HR=2.30, 95% CI: 1.34-3.95) and poor (adjusted HR=1.64, 95% CI: 1.34-2.07) social functioning were associated with increased risk for later completed suicide; however positive predictive values were low (PPVs=0.09% and 0.10%, for low cognitive ability and very poor or poor social functioning, respectively). No association between cognitive ability or social functioning and risk for suicide was found in males with a psychiatric diagnosis. These data do not support the clinical utility of screening for such potential predictors.

A Nation-Wide Study on the Percentage of Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Patients Who Earn Minimum Wage or Above.

OBJECTIVE: Although it is undisputable that patients with severe mental illness have impaired ability to work, the extent of this is unclear. This is a nation-wide, cross-sectional survey of patients who have been hospitalized with severe mental illness earning minimum wage or above. METHOD: Data from the Israeli Psychiatric Hospitalization Case Registry were linked with nation-wide data from the National Insurance Institute (the equivalent of US Social Security) on personal income. Hospitalization data were obtained on all consecutive admissions to any psychiatric hospital in the country between 1990-2008 with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, other nonaffective psychotic disorders, or bipolar disorder (N = 35 673). Earning minimum wage or more was defined as earning at least 1000 USD/month, which was equivalent to minimum wage in Israel in December 2010. RESULTS: The percentages of patients with only 1 admission who were earning minimum wage or above in December 2010 were as follows: 10.6% of patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia; 21.6% of patients with a diagnosis of nonaffective psychotic disorders; and 24.2% of patients with bipolar disorder. The percentages of patients with multiple admissions who were earning minimum wage or above were as follows: 5.8% of patients with schizophrenia; 11.2% of patients with nonaffective psychotic disorders; and 19.9% of patients with bipolar disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Despite potential confounders, the results indicate that patients with schizophrenia, nonaffective psychotic disorders, or bipolar disorder have a poor employment outcome, even if they have only been admitted once. These results emphasize the importance of improving interventions to re-integrate these individuals into the work force.

Developmental Trajectories of Impaired Community Functioning in Schizophrenia.

IMPORTANCE: Community functioning is a core component of the functional deficits in schizophrenia, yet little systematic research on the origins of these functional deficits has been performed. OBJECTIVES: To examine 3 key domains of community functioning--social activity, independent behavior, and functioning in school or work--before first hospitalization for schizophrenia and to determine whether these domains are familial. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this population-based, prospective study that included a sibling-control comparison, data from the Israeli National Draft Board Registry were linked with data from the Israeli Psychiatric Hospitalization Case Registry. The merged file included data for all male adolescents who visited the draft board and were followed up for as much as 25.4 years from draft board assessment (through the end of 2010). The 3 functional domains for cases, their unaffected siblings, and controls were compared by time between assessment and time to hospitalization. Analyses were conducted from March 13, 2014, to October 19, 2014. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The trajectories and familiality of 3 key components of community functioning--social activity, independent behavior, and functioning in school or work--in the years preceding hospitalization for schizophrenia. RESULTS: Participants included 723,316 Israeli male adolescents who underwent a mandatory behavioral assessment to determine eligibility for military service. Linkage identified 3929 individuals hospitalized for schizophrenia. Data for 338,550 sibling pairs, 1659 hospitalized with schizophrenia, were similarly ascertained. Among those with schizophrenia, impairments in social activity (effect size [d], 0.55) and functioning in school or work (d = 0.37) were recognizable up to 15 years before hospitalization. Independent behavior seemed preserved until the few years before first admission. For social activity, differences between cases and controls were progressively greater for patients admitted closer to time of testing (F = 115.33, P < .001). Unaffected siblings had small impairments compared with controls in social activity (F = 28.25, P < .001) and functioning in school or work scales (F = 14.77, P < .001). Group familial (sibling) correlations were relatively high for social activity (r = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.39-0.41) and functioning in school or work (r = 0.50; 95% CI, 0.49-0.51) but nil for independent behavior (r = 0; 95% CI, -0.01 to -0.01). Impairments in siblings had no progressive increase and were unrelated to their affected sibling's time of illness onset (time trend: social activity: F = 5.463, P = .02; independent behavior: F = 0.908, P = .34; and functioning in school or work: F = 1.386, P = .24). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Various components of impaired community functioning in schizophrenia followed different developmental trajectories. Our results indicate that impairments in social activity and functioning in school or work are familial.

Risk of completed suicide in 89,049 young males assessed by a mental health professional.

In an individual who seeks help or is referred to a mental health professional it is common sense and clinical practice to assume that suicidal thoughts and previous attempts constitute risk factors for imminent suicide. However, this assumption has not been supported by large, population-based longitudinal studies. The current study investigated whether reports of current suicidal ideation and a history of suicide attempts indeed increase risk for later completed suicide in a historical prospective study design. Sequential records on 89,049 young males assessed by mental health professionals were screened for suicidal ideation and a history of suicide attempts. The data were linked with death records from the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics. Over a follow-up period ranging from 2 months to 9.8 years, 54 individuals died by suicide, constituting an average suicide rate of 6.48 per 100,000 person-years. Overall, neither reporting current suicidal ideation (without a history of suicide attempts; HR=1.29, 95% CI=0.57-2.90) nor reporting a history of suicide attempts (with or without current suicidal ideation; HR=1.67, 95% CI=0.71-3.97) were significantly associated with increased risk for later completed suicide. However, young males with a previously diagnosed psychiatric disorder who reported current suicidal ideation (HR=4.52, 95% CI=1.08-18.91) or a history of suicide attempts (HR=6.43, 95% CI=1.54-26.90) were at increased risk of death by suicide. These findings indicate that in this particular population reports of current suicidal ideation or of a history of suicide attempts are helpful in predicting future suicide only among those with a previous diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder.

The impact of Herpes simplex virus type 1 on cognitive impairments in young, healthy individuals - A historical prospective study.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a highly prevalent neurotropic virus. Although on the whole, chronic, latent or persistent infection is considered to be relatively benign, HSV infections can cause cognitive impairment during and after acute encephalitis. Some studies have documented cognitive impairment in exposed persons that is untraceable to encephalitis. Most studies have focused on these impairments in the mentally ill, mostly among individuals with schizophrenia, and only recently have studies begun to examine the impact of HSV infection on the cognition of healthy individuals. Subjects were a representative, random sample of 612 soldiers before active duty in the Israeli military (Israeli defense force - IDF), 62.2% HSV positive (n=381) and 38.8% HSV negative (n=231). Cognitive functioning and language abilities were compared between these groups, controlling for years of education, immigration status, and gender. Compared to soldiers who were sero-negative, soldiers who were sero-positive for HSV had significantly lower IQ scores (IQ=97.96, SD=15.19 vs IQ=103.23, SD=14.23; p≤0.001, effect size (ES)=0.2), and significantly lower Hebrew language scores (ES=0.1, p≤0.01). The results remained significant after removing subjects with mild depression, anxiety or personality disorders. Although we could not control for socio-economic status directly, our findings indicate that infection with HSV-1 is associated with reduced cognitive functioning in healthy individuals. This finding adds to the growing number of studies in the schizophrenia literature and indicates that many research findings seemingly characteristic of schizophrenia are related to the association between HSV exposure and cognitive functioning in general, and are not illness specific.

A population-based longitudinal study of suicide risk in male schizophrenia patients: Proximity to hospital discharge and the moderating effect of premorbid IQ.

Suicide is a major cause of death in schizophrenia. Identifying factors which increase the risk of suicide among schizophrenia patients might help focus prevention efforts. This study examined risk of suicide in male schizophrenia patients using population-based data, examining the timing of suicide in relation to the last hospital discharge, and the effect of premorbid IQ on risk of suicide. Data on 930,000 male adolescents from the Israeli military draft board were linked with data from the Israeli Psychiatric Hospitalization Case Registry and vital statistics from the Israeli Ministry of Health. The relationship between premorbid IQ and risk for suicide was examined among 2881 males hospitalized with schizophrenia and compared to a control group of 566,726 males from the same cohort, who were not hospitalized for a psychiatric disorder, using survival analysis methods. Over a mean follow-up period of 9.9 years (SD=5.8, range: 0-22 years), 77/3806 males with schizophrenia died by suicide (a suicide rate of 204.4 per 100,000 person-years). Approximately 48% of the suicides occurred within a year of discharge from the last hospital admission for schizophrenia. Risk of suicide was higher in male schizophrenia patients with high premorbid IQ (HR=4.45, 95% CI=1.37-14.43) compared to those with normal premorbid IQ. These data indicate that male schizophrenia patients with high premorbid IQ are at particularly high risk of suicide, and the time of peak risk is during the first year after the last hospitalization discharge.

Borderline intellectual functioning is associated with poor social functioning, increased rates of psychiatric diagnosis and drug use--a cross sectional population based study.

Borderline intellectual functioning is defined by the DSM IV as an IQ range that is between one to two standard deviations below the mean (71

Gender differences in lay persons' beliefs and knowledge about Alzheimer's disease (AD): a national representative study of Israeli adults.

Although few, studies within the context of AD show that levels of worry and concern about AD are relatively low in lay persons. Since clear gender differences have been reported in the incidence and prevalence of dementia, as well as in its consequences, gender could be hypothesized as one of the factors influencing worry and concern about developing AD. The aim of the present study was to assess gender differences in public's beliefs about AD, and to examine whether men and women differ in their worries and concerns about developing the disease, as well as in their knowledge about it. A phone survey was conducted with a representative sample of 632 lay persons (mean age=45) in Israel. Information regarding males' and females' perceptions about their susceptibility, worry, fear and knowledge about AD was assessed. Males and females showed no statistically significant differences in their awareness of AD. Female participants consistently reported higher levels of perceived susceptibility, worry, fear, and knowledge about AD than male participants. Our findings highlight the need to improve the knowledge and awareness of the general public about AD, and particularly among men.

School-based obesity prevention programs: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: Attempts have been made to reduce childhood obesity through school-based programs. Systematic reviews of studies until 2006 reported a lack of consistency about effectiveness of such programs. Presented is an updated systematic review and meta-analysis. DESIGN AND METHODS: Replication of methodology used in previous comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of school-based obesity prevention programs covering studies until 2006 to review studies thru January 2012. RESULTS: Based on 32 studies (n = 52,109), programs were mildly effective in reducing BMI relative to controls not receiving intervention. Studies of children had significant intervention effects, those of teenagers did not, though the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Meta-regression showed a significant linear hierarchy of studies with the largest effects for comprehensive programs more than 1 year long that aimed to provide information on nutrition and physical activity, change attitudes, monitor behavior, modify environment, involve parents, increase physical activity and improve diet, particularly among children. CONCLUSIONS: Unlike earlier studies, more recent studies showed convincing evidence that school-based prevention interventions are at least mildly effective in reducing BMI in children, possibly because these newer studies tended to be longer, more comprehensive and included parental support.

The relationship between risk of hospitalization for schizophrenia, SES, and cognitive functioning.

Although most studies find low socioeconomic status (SES) to be associated with prevalence of schizophrenia, incidence studies do not generally support this, and some even report an inverse association. The objective of the current historical prospective study was to examine the relationship between SES, cognitive functioning, and risk of hospitalization for schizophrenia in a population-based sample of Israeli adolescents. Subjects were 811 487 adolescents, assessed by the Israeli military draft board for socio-demographic factors and cognitive functioning. Data on later hospitalization for schizophrenia were obtained from a population-based hospitalization registry. Findings indicated that when simply examining SES and schizophrenia, lower SES was associated with greater risk of hospitalization for schizophrenia (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.193, 95% CI = 1.091-1.303). When dividing the cohort into low, average, and high cognitive functioning, SES did not influence the risk for schizophrenia among individuals with high and average cognitive functioning, whereas among individuals with low cognitive functioning, high SES was found to slightly increase the risk for schizophrenia (HR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.03-1.42). One possible explanation for this finding might be that among individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds, low IQ may reflect decreased opportunities related to SES, whereas among individuals from high SES backgrounds, low IQ might reflect risk for later psychopathology.

Predictors of longitudinal changes in older adults' physical activity engagement.

The study aimed to investigate factors influencing older adults' physical activity engagement over time. The authors analyzed 3 waves of data from a sample of Israelis age 75-94 (Wave 1 n = 1,369, Wave 2 n = 687, Wave 3 n = 154). Findings indicated that physical activity engagement declined longitudinally. Logistic regressions showed that female gender, older age, and taking more medications were significant risk factors for stopping exercise at Wave 2 in those physically active at Wave 1. In addition, higher functional and cognitive status predicted initiating exercise at Wave 2 in those who did not exercise at Wave 1. By clarifying the influence of personal characteristics on physical activity engagement in the Israeli old-old, this study sets the stage for future investigation and intervention, stressing the importance of targeting at-risk populations, accommodating risk factors, and addressing both the initiation and the maintenance of exercise in the face of barriers.