Location of food stores near schools does not predict the weight status of Maine high school students.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between stores selling calorie-dense food near schools and student obesity risk, with the hypothesis that high availability predicts increased risk. METHODS: Mail surveys determined height, weight, and calorie-dense food consumption for 552 students at 11 Maine high schools. Driving distance from all food stores within 2 km (1.24 miles) of schools (or the closest store) was computed, and the impact of food store density and proximity to schools on student body mass index was determined by logistic regression. RESULTS: Ten schools had ≥ 1 store selling soda, and 8 schools had ≥1 fast-food restaurant within 1 km (0.62 miles). There were no significant relationships between the proximity or density of food stores around schools and student obesity risk. Students obtained sugar-sweetened beverages in many locations including at school. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Unhealthful food choices are ubiquitous. Consequently, stores selling these food items near schools have no significant affect on student obesity.

Beverage consumption patterns in elementary school aged children across a two-year period.

OBJECTIVE: Existing data was reexamined to determine changes in beverage consumption and associations between beverages consumed and BMI Z-score in children (n = 164) across two years. METHODS: Beverages (milk, 100% juice, diet soda or sugar sweetened) and total caloric intake were calculated from a 24-hour diet recall. Height and weight were measured to calculate BMI. Subjects were categorized by BMI Z-score as normal weight, overweight, gained weight and lost weight. Data was collected at baseline and year 2. RESULTS: Significant decreases in milk and increases in diet soda were found over two years in all subjects and normal weight, whereas overweight had a significant increase in diet soda consumption and a decrease in milk consumption that did not reach significance. Change in milk consumption was inversely correlated with sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Increases in diet soda consumption were significantly greater for overweight and subjects who gained weight as compared to normal weight subjects. Baseline BMI Z-score and year 2 diet soda consumption predicted 83.1% of the variance in year 2 BMI Z-score. CONCLUSION: Shifts in beverage consumption were found in this convenient sample across two years. Diet soda consumption was the only type of beverage associated with year 2 BMI Z-score, and consumption was greater in overweight subjects and subjects who gained weight as compared to normal weight subjects at two years. Additional longitudinal data examining associations between beverage consumption and BMI is needed in children and adolescents, as consumption of regular and diet soda has become more of a social norm.

Physical activity patterns and maternal well-being in postpartum women.

OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in activity prepregnancy to postpartum; examine postpartum activity and sociodemographic predictors of maternal well-being; and, examine maternal well-being in subjects on the basis of sport/exercise activity prepregnancy to postpartum. METHODS: Ninety-one postpartum women completed a Kaiser Physical Activity Survey (KPAS) Ainsworth BE, Sternfeld B, Richardson MT, Jackson K. Evaluation of the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey in women. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2000; 32:1327-38. and the Lederman Postpartum Questionnaire (PPQ) Lederman RP, Weingarten CT, Lederman E. Postpartum self-evaluation questionaire: Measures of maternal adaptation. In: Raff BS, Carrol P, editors. Perinatal parental behaviour: Nursing research and implications for newborn health. New York: Alan R. Liss, 1981:201-31. Subjects recalled activity prepregnancy and postpartum for the KPAS indexes that included household/care giving (HC), active living habits (AL), occupation (0), and sports/exercise (SE). The PPQ has seven well-being subscales. RESULTS: Subjects with older infants or no other children increased HC and decreased O prepregnancy to postpartum compared to subjects with younger infants or > or =1 other child. Predictors of the variance in the PPQ subscales included SE and AL (21% in subscale one), SE (6.0% in subscale two), HC (5.3% in subscale three), socioeconomic status (19.7% in subscale four), O (5.0% in subscale five), education (5.2% in subscale seven). Subjects who maintained or increased SE showed better well-being as compared to subjects who reported no SE or decreased SE prepregnancy to postpartum. CONCLUSIONS: In this group of women, subjects with older infants or no other children reported higher HC and lower O prepregnancy to postpartum. Postpartum SE, education, and socioeconomic status were predictors of maternal well-being. In general, better maternal well-being was found among subjects maintaining or increasing SE compared to no SE or decreased SE prepregnancy to postpartum. Support from partner/husband, family, and friends were significant factors in maintaining or increasing SE.