An assessment of the social cognitive predictors of exclusive breastfeeding behavior using the Health Action Process Approach.

RATIONALE: In the United States rates of exclusive breastfeeding duration remain exceedingly low. Exclusive breastfeeding is a complex learned behavior that is influenced by social cognitive, interpersonal, and structural factors. Interventions are needed that address factors at multiple levels of the social-ecological model. This study was designed to examine the social cognitive predictors of exclusive breastfeeding behavior in a sample of low-income women attending the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) breastfeeding peer counseling program and enrolled in the Lactation Advice Through Texting Can Help (LATCH) study. OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to examine whether: (1) the theoretical model, the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), fit the data well; (2) planning mediated the effect of intentions and maintenance self-efficacy on exclusive breastfeeding; and (3) recovery self-efficacy mediated the association between maintenance self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding behavior. METHODS: Outcome expectancies, action self-efficacy and intentions were assessed prenatally at baseline in N = 119 participants. Maintenance self-efficacy, planning, recovery self-efficacy and breastfeeding behavior were measured at two weeks post partum. Structural equation modeling with mean and variance adjusted Weighted Least Squares estimation was used to examine the applicability of the HAPA model to the data. RESULTS: Phase specific self-efficacy and planning significantly predicted exclusive breastfeeding status. Planning and recovery self-efficacy mediated the association between maintenance self-efficacy and exclusive breastfeeding. Planning did not emerge as a mediator between intentions and behavior. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrate the utility of the HAPA model in predicting exclusive breastfeeding behavior among low-income women attending WIC. LATCH is a theoretically sound text messaging intervention that can be used to augment and reinforce the WIC breastfeeding peer counseling process.

School breakfast and body mass index: a longitudinal observational study of middle school students.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives are to identify breakfast location patterns (frequency and place of breakfast consumption) and explore the association between breakfast patterns and weight status over time among preadolescents. METHODS: Surveys and physical measurements were completed among students from 12 randomly selected schools in a medium-sized urban school district. All students were followed from fifth (Fall, 2011) to seventh grade (Fall, 2013). Latent transition analysis and longitudinal analyses were used in the study. RESULTS: Six distinct breakfast location patterns emerged at baseline (1) frequent skippers; (2) inconsistent school eaters; (3) inconsistent home eaters; (4) regular home eaters; (5) regular school eaters and (6) double breakfast eaters. Results from the longitudinal analyses revealed that there was an increased odds of overweight/obesity among frequent skippers compared with double breakfast eaters after adjusting for school, year and students' race/ethnicity (AOR: 2.66, 95% CI: 1.67, 4.24). Weight changes from year to year were similar between double breakfast eaters and other students. CONCLUSIONS: Concerns that a second breakfast at school increases risk of excessive weight gain are unsupported. Students who regularly consumed breakfasts at school, including double breakfast eaters, were more likely to exhibit a healthy weight trajectory. Additional research is needed to understand the impact of universal school breakfast on students' overall diets.

Aspirin but not ibuprofen use is associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer: a PLCO study.

BACKGROUND: Although most epidemiological studies suggest that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use is inversely associated with prostate cancer risk, the magnitude and specificity of this association remain unclear. METHODS: We examined self-reported aspirin and ibuprofen use in relation to prostate cancer risk among 29 450 men ages 55-74 who were initially screened for prostate cancer from 1993 to 2001 in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial. Men were followed from their first screening exam until 31 December 2009, during which 3575 cases of prostate cancer were identified. RESULTS: After adjusting for potential confounders, the hazard ratios (HRs) of prostate cancer associated with <1 and ≥ 1 pill of aspirin daily were 0.98 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.90-1.07) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.85-0.99), respectively, compared with never use (P for trend 0.04). The effect of taking at least one aspirin daily was more pronounced when restricting the analyses to men older than age 65 or men who had a history of cardiovascular-related diseases or arthritis (HR (95% CI); 0.87 (0.78-0.97), 0.89 (0.80-0.99), and 0.88 (0.78-1.00), respectively). The data did not support an association between ibuprofen use and prostate cancer risk. CONCLUSION: Daily aspirin use, but not ibuprofen use, was associated with lower risk of prostate cancer risk.

Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance in relation to biliary tract cancer and stone risks: a population-based study in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: Serum lipids, diabetes, and obesity, individual components of metabolic syndrome, are associated with biliary tract cancer and stone risk, but the associations of metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance with biliary tract cancers and stones are not well studied. METHODS: In this population-based case-control study in Shanghai, China (627 biliary tract cancers, 1037 biliary stones, and 959 controls), metabolic syndrome was defined as the presence of any three of the five components, including high waist circumference, high triglycerides, low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), high blood pressure, and diabetes. Insulin resistance and ß-cell function were assessed, using homeostasis assessment models. RESULTS: Metabolic syndrome was significantly associated with gallbladder cancer (odds ratio (OR)=2.75, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=1.82-4.15) and biliary stones (OR=1.64, 95% CI=1.24-2.16), with a significant dose effect with increasing number of metabolic syndrome components (P trend <0.0001). The observed association persisted among subjects without a history of diabetes. The association between insulin resistance and gallbladder cancer was borderline (P trend=0.06). There was a significant inverse association between ß-cell function and gallbladder cancer risk (P trend <0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance have a role in the aetiology of biliary tract cancers and biliary stones, and if confirmed, they imply that lifestyle control of these factors may lower the risk of biliary stones and biliary tract cancer.

Hepatitis C virus genotype 4 with normal transaminases: histological changes, schistosomiasis and response to treatment.

Among individuals with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, approximately 30% of patients show persistently normal alanine aminotransferase (PNALT). Individuals with PNALT have been historically excluded from antiviral treatment. However, some studies have reported sudden worsening of disease in patients with PNALT, suggesting the need to treat such individuals. To evaluate this further, we compared fibrosis severity and response to treatment in patients with PNALT to patients with abnormal ALT. In addition, we investigated whether liver histology and schistosomiasis affect response to treatment differently in those with PNALT and abnormal ALT. A retrospective cohort study of 176 HCV-Genotype 4 (HCV-G4) patients treated with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin. Of 176 cases studied, 53 (30.1%) had normal ALT. Prevalence of pretreatment severe fibrosis, sustained virological response (SVR) and relapse were not significantly different in patients with PNALT (26%, 66% and 5.7% respectively) compared to those with abnormal ALT (32.5%, 60.7%, and 6.6% respectively). Multivariable logistic regression revealed that pretreatment ALT, pretreatment viral load, inflammation and schistosomiasis were not significantly associated with SVR [OR (95% CI), 0.75 (0.34-1.65); 0.92 (0.61-1.37); 1.64 (0.64-4.18); 0.90 (0.44-1.84) respectively]. Severe fibrosis was the only significant predictor of SVR [OR (95% CI), 0.38 (0.14-0.99)]. PNALT does not reflect the degree of fibrotic changes or predict SVR. Furthermore, schistosomiasis is a predictor of neither fibrosis nor poor response in patients with PNALT. Severe fibrosis is a strong and independent predictor of response to treatment. Therefore, it is important to treat individuals with PNALT levels regardless of schistosomiasis.

Diabetes in relation to biliary tract cancer and stones: a population-based study in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: Biliary tract cancers are rare but fatal malignancies. Diabetes has been related to biliary stones, but its association with biliary tract cancers is less conclusive. METHODS: In a population-based case-control study of 627 cancers, 1037 stones, and 959 controls in Shanghai, China, we examined the association between diabetes and the risks of biliary tract cancer and stones, as well as the effect of potential mediating factors, including serum lipids and biliary stones (for cancer), contributing to the causal pathway from diabetes to biliary diseases. RESULTS: Independent of body mass index (BMI), diabetes was significantly associated with gallbladder cancer and biliary stones ((odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval)=2.6 (1.5-4.7) and 2.0 (1.2-3.3), respectively). Biliary stones and low serum levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were significant mediators of the diabetes effect on gallbladder cancer risk, accounting for 60 and 17% of the diabetes effect, respectively. High-density lipoprotein was also a significant mediator of the diabetes effect on biliary stones, accounting for 18% of the diabetes effect. CONCLUSIONS: Independent of BMI, diabetes is a risk factor for gallbladder cancer, but its effect is mediated in part by biliary stones and serum HDL levels, suggesting that gallbladder cancer risk may be reduced by controlling diabetes, stones, and HDL levels.

Viral kinetic of HCV genotype-4 during pegylated interferon alpha 2a: ribavirin therapy.

Kinetics of hepatitis C virus (HCV) during pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and early monitoring of viral decline were recently described to predict treatment outcomes and in turn reduce the course of treatment, adverse effects and cost. However, there is limited (if any) information on the viral dynamics of HCV-4. Our aim is to follow the HCV-RNA kinetics during PEG-IFN alpha 2a and ribavirin therapy and the best time for predicting sustained viral response (SVR) in genotype-4 patients. Serum HCV-RNA levels before initial dosing (baseline level) and at 24 h, week 1, week 4, week 12, week 24, week 48 and week 72 were assessed in 84 HCV genotype-4 patients treated weekly by PEG-IFN alpha 2a and daily ribavirin. At the end of treatment, out of the 84 treated patients, 19 (22.6%) were non-responders while 65 (77%) showed end-of-treatment response (ETR). However, 8 patients relapsed (9.5%), thus the SVR was observed in 57 patients (67.9%). Younger patients were more likely to attain SVR, where the odds of SVR increased by a factor of 0.94 for each year increase in age (95% CI: 0.90-0.99, P = 0.019). Although a significant negative correlation between stage of fibrosis and rate of viral decline at weeks 1 and 4 (P < 0.005 and 0.001, respectively) was seen, neither fibrosis stage (χ(2) = 3.4882, P > 0.1) nor grade of inflammation (χ(2) = 0.0057, P > 0.1) significantly predicted response to treatment. Non-responders had no or only a limited decline at week 1 and week 4, whereas sustained virological responders had a significant decline at both week 1 and week 4. Area under the (receiver operating characteristic) curve (AUC) revealed that week 12 is better than any other time point in predicting the SVR (AUC = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.94-1.01), (sensitivity 98.3%; 95% CI: 90.7-99.9), (specificity 88.5%; 95% CI: 71.0-96.0), positive predictive value of 94.9% and negative predictive value of 95.8%. A drop of more than 1.17 log viral load at week 1 and viral clearance or decline >3 log were considered as the earliest predictors of SVR. In genotype-4 patients, while failure to achieve an EVR at week 12 predicts non-response, an RVR at week 1 and week 4 98% guaranteed SVR. These findings further re-enforce the value of week 12 in the course of IFN treatment. Genotype-4 patients who show significant viral clearance (>1.17 log viral load) by the first week of treatment and viral clearance >3 log by week 4 are expected to show SVR and should therefore be assigned to a shorter drug regimen lasting for 24 weeks. Those unfortunate cases who do not achieve viral clearance by week 1 or week 4 should not be deprived from the treatment but rather given more time till week 12 before being classified as non-responders.