Impact of ¡Míranos! on parent-reported home-based healthy energy balance-related behaviors in low-income Latino preschool children: a clustered randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Widespread establishment of home-based healthy energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs), like diet, physical activity, sedentary behavior, screen time, and sleep, among low-income preschool-aged children could curb the childhood obesity epidemic. We examined the effect of an 8-month multicomponent intervention on changes in EBRBs among preschool children enrolled in 12 Head Start centers. METHODS: The Head Start (HS) centers were randomly assigned to one of three treatment arms: center-based intervention group (CBI), center-based plus home-based intervention group (CBI + HBI), or control. Before and following the intervention, parents of 3-year-olds enrolled in participating HS centers completed questionnaires about their child's at-home EBRBs. Adult-facilitated physical activity (PA) was measured by an index based on questions assessing the child's level of PA participation at home, with or facilitated by an adult. Fruit, vegetable, and added sugar intake were measured via a short food frequency questionnaire, and sleep time and screen time were measured using 7-day logs. A linear mixed effects model examined the intervention's effect on post-intervention changes in PA, intake of fruit, vegetable, and added sugar, sleep time, and screen time from baseline to post-intervention. RESULTS: A total of 325 parents participated in the study (CBI n = 101; CBI + HBI n = 101; and control n = 123). Compared to control children, CBI and CBI + HBI parents reported decreases in children's intake of added sugar from sugar-sweetened beverages. Both CBI and CBI + HBI parents also reported smaller increases in children's average weekday screen time relative to controls. In addition, CBI + HBI parents reported CBI + HBI parents reported increases in children's adult-facilitated PA, fruit and vegetable intake, and daily sleep time during weekdays (excluding weekends) and the total week from baseline to post-intervention, while children in the CBI increased sleep time over the total week compared to the children in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Parent engagement strengthened the improvement in parent-reported EBRBs at home in young children participating in an evidence-based obesity prevention program in a childcare setting. Future studies should investigate equity-related contextual factors that influence the impact of obesity prevention in health-disparity populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03590834. Registered July 18, 2018, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03590834.

¡Míranos! a Comprehensive Preschool Obesity Prevention Program in Low-Income Latino Children: One-year Results of a Clustered Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Test a culturally tailored obesity prevention intervention in low-income, minority preschool-age children. DESIGN: A three-group clustered randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Twelve Head Start Centers were randomly assigned to a center-based intervention, a combined center- and home-based intervention, or control using a 1:1:1 ratio. The center-based intervention modified center physical activity and nutrition policies, staff practices, and child behaviors, while the home-based intervention supported parents for obesity prevention at home. STUDY OUTCOMES: The primary endpoint was change in children's body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) at posttest immediately following completion of the 8-month intervention. Secondary endpoints included standardized scores for BMI (BMIz) and body weight (WAZ), and BMI percentiles (BMI pctl). PARTICIPANTS: Three-year-old children enrolled in Head Start in San Antonio, Texas, with written parent consent (N=325), 87% Latino; 57% female with mean age (SD) of 3.58 years (0.29). RESULTS: Change in BMI at posttest was 1.28 (0.97), 1.28 (0.87), and 1.41 (0.71) in the center+home-based intervention, center-based intervention, and control, respectively. There was no significant difference in BMI change between center+home-based intervention and control or center-based intervention and control at posttest. BMIz (adjusted difference -0.12 [95% CI, -0.24 to 0.01], p = .06) and WAZ (adjusted difference, -0.09 [-0.17 to -0.002], p = .04) were reduced for children in center+home-based intervention compared to control group. CONCLUSIONS: There was no reduction in BMI at posttest in children who received the intervention. Findings shed light on methodological challenges in childhood obesity research and offer future directions to explore health equity-oriented obesity prevention.

Study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial to test "¡Míranos! Look at Us, We Are Healthy!" - an early childhood obesity prevention program.

BACKGROUND: One in three Head Start children is either overweight or obese. We will test the efficacy of an early childhood obesity prevention program, "¡Míranos! Look at Us, We Are Healthy!" (¡Míranos!), which promotes healthy growth and targets multiple energy balance-related behaviors in predominantly Latino children in Head Start. The ¡Míranos! intervention includes center-based (policy changes, staff development, gross motor program, and nutrition education) and home-based (parent engagement/education and home visits) interventions to address key enablers and barriers in obesity prevention in childcare. In partnership with Head Start, we have demonstrated the feasibility and acceptability of the proposed interventions to influence energy balance-related behaviors favorably in Head Start children. METHODS: Using a three-arm cluster randomized controlled design, 12 Head Start centers will be randomly assigned in equal number to one of three conditions: 1) a combined center- and home-based intervention, 2) center-based intervention only, or 3) comparison. The interventions will be delivered by trained Head Start staff during the academic year. A total of 444 3-year-old children (52% females; n = 37 per center at baseline) in two cohorts will be enrolled in the study and followed prospectively 1 year post-intervention. Data collection will be conducted at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at the one-year follow-up and will include height, weight, physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors, sleep duration and screen time, gross motor development, dietary intake and food and activity preferences. Information on family background, parental weight, PA- and nutrition-related practices and behaviors, PA and nutrition policy and environment at center and home, intervention program costs, and treatment fidelity will also be collected. DISCUSSION: With endorsement and collaboration of two local Head Start administrators, ¡Míranos!, as a culturally tailored obesity prevention program, is poised to provide evidence of efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a policy and environmental approach to prevent early onset of obesity in low-income Latino preschool children. ¡Míranos! can be disseminated to various organized childcare settings, as it is built on the Head Start program and its infrastructure, which set a gold standard for early childhood education, as well as current PA and nutrition recommendations for preschool children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.Gov ( NCT03590834 ) July 18, 2018.

Study protocol: intervention in maternal perception of preschoolers' weight among Mexican and Mexican-American mothers.

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is a public health issue negatively affecting children's physical and psychosocial health. Mothers are children's primary caregivers, thus key players in childhood obesity prevention. Studies have indicated that mothers underestimate their children's weight. If mothers are unaware of their children's weight problem, they are less likely to participate in activities preventing and treating excess weight. The "Healthy Change" intervention is designed to change maternal perception of child's weight (MPCW) through peer-led group health education in childcare settings. METHODS/DESIGN: The "Healthy Change" is a multicenter two-arm randomized trial in four centers. Three centers are in Mexican States (Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and Zacatecas). The fourth center is in San Antonio, Texas, USA. A total of 360 mother-child pairs (90 pairs per center) are to be randomly and evenly allocated to either the intervention or the control group. Intervention group will receive four-session group obesity prevention education. Control group will receive a four-session personal and food hygiene education. The education is delivered by trained peer-mother promotoras. Data will be collected using questionnaires and focus groups. The primary outcome is a change in proportion of mothers with accurate MPCW. Secondary outcomes include change in maternal feeding styles and practices, maternal self-efficacy and actions for managing child excessive weight gain. McNemar's Test will be used to test the primary outcome. The GLM Univariate procedure will be used to determine intervention effects on secondary outcomes. The models will include the secondary outcome measures as the dependent variables, treatment condition (intervention/control) as the fixed factor, and confounding factors (e.g., mother's education, children's gender and age) as covariates. Sub-analyses will be performed to compare intervention effects on primary and secondary outcomes between the samples from Mexico and Texas, USA. Qualitative data will be analyzed through analysis of inductive content. A combined coding model will be developed and used to code transcripts using the NVivo software. DISCUSSION: Healthy Change intervention could help change MPCW, an initial step for obesity prevention among preschoolers. This study presents a first of its kind intervention available in Spanish and English targeting Mexican and Mexican-American mothers in Mexico and USA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN12281648.

¡Miranos! (Look at Us! We Are Healthy!): Home-Based and Parent Peer-Led Childhood Obesity Prevention.

Parent interventions for childhood obesity prevention have traditionally experienced low participation rates or used passive methods such as newsletters. In contrast, the ¡Miranos! intervention home-based activities included parent-led face-to-face meetings delivered after school, take-home bags with educational materials, and scavenger hunt games to deliver health information to Head Start families regarding nutrition, physical activity, and healthy growth promotion for their preschooler. This study employed a quasi-experimental design with three intervention centers (two that received only center-based activities and one that received center- and home-based activities) and one comparison center. Data were collected on participating Head Start children and their parents/guardians and included parent attendance, parent health message recall through intercept interviews, parent knowledge through pre- and posttests, and family supportive behaviors and child health behaviors through a parent questionnaire. Parents/guardians that received both center- and home-based activities significantly increased knowledge scores (t = 2.50, degrees of freedom = 123, p < .05) and family supportive behaviors from baseline to follow-up (t = 2.12, degrees of freedom = 122, p < .05). This study demonstrates the effects home-based interventions can have when coupled with center-based activities and implemented in the center at the end of the school day.

Associations between a voluntary restaurant menu designation initiative and patron purchasing behavior.

BACKGROUND: Restaurant initiatives provide an efficient opportunity to impact large numbers of patrons. The purpose of this study is to measure patron purchasing behaviors during the ¡Por Vida! menu designation initiative. METHOD: This study used a cross-sectional design and survey data to assess 23 restaurants throughout Bexar County and 152 restaurant patrons. The Patron Awareness Questionnaire assessed if patrons noticed the logo; believed nutrition, cost, and taste were important in making purchasing decisions; and purchased a ¡Por Vida! item. Descriptive statistics, Spearman correlations, and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Most (93.4%) patrons considered taste very important when deciding what to eat. Cost was very important to 63.8% and nutrition was very important to 55.9% of the sample. The strongest predictors of purchasing a ¡Por Vida! item were the patrons' ages being between 18 and 35 years (odds ratio = 1.474; confidence interval = 0.017, 0.812; p < .05) and if patrons saw the logo (odds ratio = 4.327; confidence interval = 1.696-11.036; p < .01). DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Menu logo designation initiatives can potentially influence patron purchasing behaviors among a segment of the population when the logo is visible.

¡Miranos! An 8-Month Comprehensive Preschool Obesity Prevention Program in Low-Income Latino Children: Effects on Children's Gross Motor Development.

Organized childcare is an ideal setting to promote gross motor development in young children from low-income minority families. A three-group clustered randomized controlled trial was conducted in Head Start centers serving low-income Latino children to evaluate the impact of an 8-month comprehensive obesity-prevention intervention on children's percentile scores for locomotive skills (LS pctl) and ball skills (BS pctl), and general motor quotient (GMQ). Trained Head Start staff delivered the center-based intervention (CBI) to modify center physical activity and nutrition policies, staff practices, and child behaviors, while the home-based intervention (HBI) offered training and support to parents for obesity prevention at home. Participants were 3-year-old children (n = 310; 87% Latino; 58% female) enrolled in Head Start centers in South Texas. Twelve centers were randomized (1:1:1 ratio) to receive CBI, CBI and HBI (CBI + HBI), or control treatment. Posttest data were collected from 79.1% of participants. All gross motor development measures improved significantly for children in CBI compared to the control, while children in CBI + HBI only showed improvement for GMQ (p = 0.09) and LS pctl (p < 0.001) compared to the control. A comprehensive and culturally competent intervention targeting childcare centers and children's homes was effective at improving children's gross motor development and reducing disparities in child development.

Strategic Sodium Reduction Initiative Reduces Sodium in Meals Served at Older Adult Congregate Meal Program Sites.

Excessive sodium consumption is a public health issue and congregate meal programs provide a unique opportunity to reduce sodium served to a large, at-risk population. A Sodium Reduction Initiative (SRI) was implemented in a congregate meal program that serves over 3,000 older adults. Nutrient analyses conducted at baseline and post-intervention were used to calculate average sodium reduction and the number of low sodium foods; targeted foods were categorized by strategy. Customer satisfaction surveys were collected at baseline and 3- and 6-months post-intervention. Kruskal Wallis and analysis of variance were used to compare sodium reduction differences. Chi-square analysis determined associations among strategies. The SRI impacted 55 foods, low sodium foods increased by 22%, and the average sodium per menu cycle was reduced by 21%. Replacement with a lower sodium food was the most frequently used strategy and had the largest sodium reduction. Sauces and main entrees were most frequently impacted, and thirteen ingredients accounted for 75% of all reduced-sodium foods. Over 50% of the 1,424 survey respondents consumed the reduced-sodium foods and food satisfaction remained stable from baseline to post-intervention. Congregate meals programs that target commonly used foods and key ingredients can significantly reduce sodium served to older adults.

Correlates of family health history discussions between college students and physicians: does family cancer history make a difference?

Effective communication between young adults and their healthcare providers can contribute to early detection of risk for developing cancer and establishment of lifelong habits for engagement in healthcare and health promotion behaviors. Our objectives were to examine factors influencing family health history discussions between college students and physicians and factors associated with perceptions about who is responsible for initiating such discussions. Data from an internet-based study of 632 college students were analyzed. Approximately 60% of college student participants reported they had discussed their family health history with a physician. The perception that physicians are responsible for initiating family health history discussions was associated with being non-White and less than completely knowledgeable about cancer. Having a discussion with a physician was associated with being female, having a regular physician, perceiving genetics as a risk for developing cancer, and having a family member diagnosed with cancer. Understanding variation among college students' perceptions about their role in initiating health-history-related discussions and characteristics of those who have or have not discussed family health issues with physicians can inform healthcare practice to foster optimal healthcare interactions in early adulthood.

Calibrating Wrist-Worn Accelerometers for Physical Activity Assessment in Preschoolers: Machine Learning Approaches.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity (PA) level is associated with multiple health benefits during early childhood. However, inconsistency in the methods for quantification of PA levels among preschoolers remains a problem. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop PA intensity cut points for wrist-worn accelerometers by using machine learning (ML) approaches to assess PA in preschoolers. METHODS: Wrist- and hip-derived acceleration data were collected simultaneously from 34 preschoolers on 3 consecutive preschool days. Two supervised ML models, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and ordinal logistic regression (OLR), and one unsupervised ML model, k-means cluster analysis, were applied to establish wrist-worn accelerometer vector magnitude (VM) cut points to classify accelerometer counts into sedentary behavior, light PA (LPA), moderate PA (MPA), and vigorous PA (VPA). Physical activity intensity levels identified by hip-worn accelerometer VM cut points were used as reference to train the supervised ML models. Vector magnitude counts were classified by intensity based on three newly established wrist methods and the hip reference to examine classification accuracy. Daily estimates of PA were compared to the hip-reference criterion. RESULTS: In total, 3600 epochs with matched hip- and wrist-worn accelerometer VM counts were analyzed. All ML approaches performed differently on developing PA intensity cut points for wrist-worn accelerometers. Among the three ML models, k-means cluster analysis derived the following cut points: ≤2556 counts per minute (cpm) for sedentary behavior, 2557-7064 cpm for LPA, 7065-14532 cpm for MPA, and ≥14533 cpm for VPA; in addition, k-means cluster analysis had the highest classification accuracy, with more than 70% of the total epochs being classified into the correct PA categories, as examined by the hip reference. Additionally, k-means cut points exhibited the most accurate estimates on sedentary behavior, LPA, and VPA as the hip reference. None of the three wrist methods were able to accurately assess MPA. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the potential of ML approaches in establishing cut points for wrist-worn accelerometers to assess PA in preschoolers. However, the findings from this study warrant additional validation studies.

Building a Healthy Temple diabetes self-management education support program in Hispanic faith community settings: A cluster randomized controlled trial.

Diabetes self-management is key to preventing diabetes complications disproportionately affecting Hispanics. Church appears a promising setting for delivering a diabetes self-management education support (DSMES) program. "Faith-placed" (FP) programing refers to health interventions implemented in the church setting; while "faith-based" (FB) signifies integrating spirituality with health interventions. The Building a Health Temple (BHT) DSMES program integrates spirituality with DSMES to improve diabetic outcomes. This cluster-randomized trial tests the effectiveness of BHT DSMES by adapting an existing DSMES program into faith-based context. A total of 360 participants will be recruited from 18 churches (~20 participants/church). Churches will be randomly assigned to either the FB or FP intervention arm. Intervention activities will be implemented over 14 consecutive weeks. Participants in the FB arm will participate in BHT DSMES including a Health Sermon, the Self-Management Resource Center (SMRC) Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP), and a 7-session Healthy Bible Study, delivered by two trained church lay health leaders. Participants in the FP arm will attend the same SMRC DSMP facilitated by outside health professional, followed by a 7-session community health and safety curriculum as a partial attention control intervention. The primary outcome will be a change in Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level. Secondary outcomes include: changes in body mass index, waist circumference, diabetes distress score, diabetes self-care behaviors, eating behavior, and physical activity level. Data will be collected at baseline, 6, 9, and 12 months during the study period. The proposed study will lead to innovative DSMES program delivery through faith settings for Hispanic persons with diabetes.

Diabetes risk, low fitness, and energy insufficiency levels among children from poor families.

BACKGROUND: Low-income populations have higher rates of type 2 diabetes and it is the hope of the investigators to increase support for the dissemination of evidence-based prevention programs aimed at children from poor families. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of high blood glucose, obesity, low fitness, and energy insufficiency levels among children from poor families. DESIGN: The cross-sectional study conducted in fall 2001 used fasting capillary glucose, body mass index, body fat, step test, and three 24-hour dietary recalls to assess diabetes risk factor levels. SUBJECTS: Participants were 1,402 fourth-grade students aged 8 to 10 years. The racial/ethnic backgrounds were 80% Mexican American, 10% African American, 5% Asian American, and 5% non-Hispanic white. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED: All data were analyzed for descriptive statistics and frequencies of distribution. Means were computed by sex for all diabetes risk factors and t test conducted to determine differences between sexes. RESULTS: Nearly 75% of participants lived in households with

NEEMA: a school-based diabetes risk prevention program designed for African-American children.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct formative assessment and preliminary biological impact of a school-based diabetes risk prevention program for African-American children during a 14-week study. METHODS: NEEMA is a school-based diabetes prevention program tailored for African-American children. The NEEMA is implemented via four social networks-classroom (Health and Physical Education Class), after school (Health Club), home (Family Fun Fair) and school cafeteria (Food Service Program). Formative assessment data were collected through semistructured interviews with physical education (PE) teachers and a pre-to-post design was used to measure biological impact. Fasting capillary glucose, height, weight, body mass index, percent body fat and fitness data were collected from a sample of 58 fourth-grade students. The six elementary schools had > 40% African-American enrollment and were located in low-income neighborhoods. RESULTS: Face-to-face interview data revealed diabetes, obesity and food insufficiency as major health concerns among PE teachers. Teachers also cited large classes and short PE periods as major challenges for implementing the program. From baseline to follow-up, fitness laps increased from 16.40 (SD = 9.98) to 23.72 (SD = 14.79) (p < 0.000), fasting capillary glucose decreased from 89.17 mg/dl (SD = 10.05) to 83.50 mg/dl (SD = 11.26) (p < 0.000), and percent body fat decreased from 27.26 (SD=12.89) to 26.68 (SD = 11.67) (p < 0.537). CONCLUSION: The NEEMA pilot study provided teacher feedback useful for revising the NEEMA health curricula and positive preliminary impact of the NEEMA PE class on children's fitness and blood glucose levels.

Treatment Interventions for Early Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review.

CONTEXT: With 25% of preschool-age children in the United States being overweight or obese, effective interventions for these children would have significant public health implications. Randomized trials targeting this age group have been performed since the last systematic review. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the literature on treatment interventions for overweight or obesity in preschool-age children. DATA SOURCES: Medline (1948-July 2014), the Cochrane Central Registry (1991-July 2014), CINAHL (1990-July2014), and PAS abstracts (2000-2014). STUDY SELECTION: Inclusion criteria were children aged 0 to 6 in the study and adiposity as an outcome. Exclusions were having normal-weight children in the trial and not having a comparison group. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were extracted independently by 2 authors using a template. RESULTS: The initial search yielded 1981 results, narrowed to 289 abstracts after initial review. Further analysis and cross-referencing led to the selection of 6 randomized controlled trials representing 1222 children. Two studies used systems changes and motivational interviewing and showed no significant effect on adiposity. Two studies used an intensive, multidisciplinary approach over 6 months and demonstrated significant decreases in adiposity. One study tested parental coaching and showed a significant reduction in adiposity at 6 months. One study used education on a dairy-rich diet and showed a possible effect on adiposity. LIMITATIONS: The study designs were too heterogeneous for meta-analysis; few ethnic minority subjects were included. CONCLUSIONS: Multidisciplinary, intensive interventions have some evidence of efficacy in reducing adiposity in preschool children.

Factors That Influence Park Use and Physical Activity in Predominantly Hispanic and Low-Income Neighborhoods.

BACKGROUND: Park features' association with physical activity among predominantly Hispanic communities is not extensively researched. The purpose of this study was to assess factors associated with park use and physical activity among park users in predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. METHODS: Data were collected across 6 parks and included park environmental assessments to evaluate park features, physical activity observations to estimate physical activity energy expenditure as kcal/kg/ minute per person, and park user interviews to assess motivators for park use. Quantitative data analysis included independent t tests and ANOVA. Thematic analysis of park user interviews was conducted collectively and by parks. RESULTS: Parks that were renovated had higher physical activity energy expenditure scores (mean = .086 ± .027) than nonrenovated parks (mean = .077 ± .028; t = -3.804; P < .01). Basketball courts had a significantly higher number of vigorously active park users (mean = 1.84 ± .08) than tennis courts (mean = .15 ± .01; F = 21.9, η(2) = 6.1%, P < .01). Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed 4 emerging themes-motivation to be physically active, using the play spaces in the park, parks as the main place for physical activity, and social support for using parks. CONCLUSION: Renovations to park amenities, such as increasing basketball courts and trail availability, could potentially increase physical activity among low-socioeconomic-status populations.

Motivations, Barriers, and Behaviors Related to Obtaining and Discussing Family Health History: A Sex-Based Comparison Among Young Adults.

BACKGROUND: Genetic predisposition is a risk factor for many chronic diseases, yet little is known about the frequency in which college students seek out their family health history or with whom they communicate relevant information. PURPOSE: This study examines motivations and barriers associated with obtaining one's family health history and discussing it with others. METHODS: Data were analyzed from 625 college students using an internet-delivered questionnaire, which comprised of questions about intentions and motivations to obtain and share family health history as well as barriers encountered when obtaining family health history. Responses were bifurcated by participants' sex. Chi-squared and t statistics were used to identify response differences by sex. RESULTS: Females were significantly more likely than males to be motivated to obtain their family health history, and more likely to have shared their family health history with others; state that they would share their family health history with others; and express a preference for sharing their family health history with a wider range of people. DISCUSSION: Educational interventions and improved student health services could be effective mechanisms to increase college students' knowledge, awareness, and perceived importance of obtaining their family health history.

Mexican American mothers' perceptions of childhood obesity: a theory-guided systematic literature review.

Childhood obesity continues to increase, disproportionately affecting Mexican American children. The aims of this review are to (a) assess the literature regarding Mexican American mothers' knowledge and perceptions of childhood obesity, prevention, and their role in prevention; (b) critically evaluate the methodological quality of the research conducted on mothers' perceptions of childhood obesity; and (c) make recommendations for future research on parental perceptions of childhood obesity. Four databases were searched for relevant articles and 22 studies met inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Social cognitive theory was used to sort findings across studies. Major findings included the following: (a) barriers to childhood obesity prevention included lack of education regarding prevention and role modeling, (b) only 23% of studies explicitly used a theoretical framework to guide their study, and (c) most studies used heterogeneous groups to examine perceptions. Implications for future research and practice are presented.

Perceived risk of developing diabetes in early adulthood: beliefs about inherited and behavioral risk factors across the life course.

This study aimed to determine how college students perceive their risk of developing diabetes over their life course, with specific emphasis on their beliefs about the influence of inherited versus behavioral risk factors. A bivariate ordered probit regression model was used to simultaneously predict perceived risk for 10-year absolute risk of diabetes and lifetime absolute risk of diabetes. Ten-year and lifetime absolute risk were both increased when the respondent self-identified with a race/ethnicity other than non-Hispanic white (ß = 0.42, p < .001 and ß = 0.33, p = .004, respectively), and when the respondent had an increasing number of family members with diabetes (ß = 0.33, p < .001 and ß = 0.45, p < .001, respectively). Beliefs linking behavioral risk factors to perceived risk of developing diabetes across the life course were not statistically significant. The absence of significant association between perceptions of behavioral risk as factors for developing diabetes and perceived risk for diabetes over the life course supports the need for educational interventions about behavioral and genetic causes of diabetes among the college-aged population.

College students' perceived disease risk versus actual prevalence rates.

OBJECTIVE: To compare college students' perceived disease risk with disease prevalence rates. METHODS: Data were analyzed from 625 college students collected with an Internet-based survey. Paired t-tests were used to separately compare participants' perceived 10-year and lifetime disease risk for 4 diseases: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and overweight/obesity. RESULTS: Respondents estimated their risk of developing heart disease as lower than cancer, yet rated their risk of developing heart disease as higher than diabetes and being overweight/obese. CONCLUSION: Incongruence between college students' perceived disease risk and disease prevalence rates calls for improved public health education.

Míranos! Look at us, we are healthy! An environmental approach to early childhood obesity prevention.

BACKGROUND: Obesity prevention research is sparse in young children at risk for obesity. This study tested the effectiveness of a culturally tailored, multicomponent prevention intervention to promote healthy weight gain and gross motor development in low-income preschool age children. METHODS: Study participants were predominantly Mexican-American children (n = 423; mean age = 4.1; 62% in normal weight range) enrolled in Head Start. The study was conducted using a quasi-experimental pretest/posttest design with two treatment groups and a comparison group. A center-based intervention included an age-appropriate gross motor program with structured outdoor play, supplemental classroom activities, and staff development. A combined center- and home-based intervention added peer-led parent education to create a broad supportive environment in the center and at home. Primary outcomes were weight-based z-scores and raw scores of gross motor skills of the Learning Achievement Profile Version 3. RESULTS: Favorable changes occurred in z-scores for weight (one-tailed p < 0.04) for age and gender among children in the combined center- and home-based intervention compared to comparison children at posttest. Higher gains of gross motor skills were found in children in the combined center- and home-based (p < 0.001) and the center-based intervention (p < 0.01). Children in both intervention groups showed increases in outdoor physical activity and consumption of healthy food. Process evaluation data showed high levels of protocol implementation fidelity and program participation of children, Head Start staff, and parents. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated great promise in creating a health-conducive environment that positively impacts weight and gross motor skill development in children at risk for obesity. Program efficacy should be tested in a randomized trial.