Dietary outcomes in a Spanish-language randomized controlled diabetes prevention trial with pregnant Latinas.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the effectiveness of a community-based healthy lifestyle intervention in improving dietary behaviors of pregnant Latinas from 2004 to 2006 in Detroit, Michigan. METHODS: The 11-week, culturally tailored, Spanish-language Healthy Mothers on the Move (MOMs) intervention offered home visits, group classes, related activities, and social support from trained community health workers (CHWs) and peers. Dietary behaviors were measured by food frequency questionnaire. Linear mixed models estimated pre- and post-intervention changes, within and between MOMs intervention and minimal intervention (MI) groups. RESULTS: MOMs (n = 139) and MI (n = 139) participants had similar baseline characteristics and dietary intake. Post-intervention, MOMs participants showed significant improvement in all dietary behaviors, except fruit and fiber consumption. Compared with MI participants, MOMs participants had significantly decreased consumption of added sugar (P = .05), total fat (P < .05), saturated fat (P < .01), percentage of daily calories from saturated fat (P < .001), solid fats and added sugars (P < .001), and had increased vegetable consumption (P < .001). Their increase in fiber consumption (P < .05) was significant relative to MI participants' decrease in fiber intake. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the hypothesis that a community-planned, CHW-led healthy lifestyle intervention could improve dietary behaviors of low-income Latina women during pregnancy.

Cytomegalovirus is associated with reduced telomerase activity in the Whitehall II cohort.

Telomere length and telomerase activity have received increased attention as markers of cellular aging, but the determinants of inter-individual variation in these markers are incompletely understood. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection may be particularly important for telomere and telomerase dynamics due to its dramatic impact on peripheral blood lymphocyte composition, i.e., increasing the number and proportions of highly differentiated T cells that are characterized by shorter telomere length (TL) and lowered telomerase activity (TA). However, the possible relationship between CMV infection and leukocyte TL and TA has not been well-examined in vivo. This study examined the associations of CMV seropositivity and CMV IgG antibodies with leukocyte (TL) and (TA) in a sample of 434 healthy individuals (ages 53-76) from the Whitehall II cohort. Positive CMV serostatus was significantly associated with lower TA among women, and higher CMV IgG antibody levels were associated with lower TA in the overall sample. However, neither CMV seropositivity nor CMV IgG antibody levels (reflecting subclinical reactivation) among the seropositive were significantly associated with TL. These associations were robust to adjustment for age, employment grade, BMI, and smoking status. The results demonstrate that CMV seropositivity and subclinical reactivation predict lower TA. Future longitudinal studies should test whether the association of CMV with lower TA contributes to accelerated telomere shortening over time.

Trends in Michigan early adolescent immunization: 2006-2008.

OBJECTIVES: We have described vaccine coverage of Michigan young adolescents immunized with tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis; meningococcal conjugate; and human papillomavirus vaccines during 2006-2008. METHODS: We obtained data from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry, a state-based immunization information system that included more than 57 million vaccination records. We examined 3 overlapping cohorts of 11- and 12-year-old children (n > 350 000 in each) to assess temporal trends in vaccination coverage, characteristics of those immunized, funding sources, and vaccination sites. RESULTS: Vaccine uptake increased during 2006 through 2008, peaking in the summer months. More than half of children receiving more than 1 vaccine received the vaccines simultaneously. Older age, receipt of Medicaid, and prior completion of early childhood immunizations were associated with greater odds of vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccine coverage among Michigan young adolescents is increasing but continues to be relatively low. Coverage of 11- and 12-year-old children may improve with efforts to encourage vaccination at all health care visits, an increase in public funding in support of adolescent vaccination, and continued monitoring of adolescent vaccination levels through school-based assessments.