Low Health Literacy, Lack of Knowledge, and Self-Control Hinder Healthy Lifestyles in Diverse Patients with Steatotic Liver Disease.

INTRODUCTION: In parallel with the obesity and diabetes epidemics, steatotic liver disease (SLD) has emerged as a major global public health concern. The mainstay of therapy is counseling on weight loss and increased exercise. However, such lifestyle modifications infrequently lead to success. We aimed to identify barriers to diet and lifestyle modification in patients with SLD. METHODS: Patients with SLD completed a 14-item questionnaire that assigned barriers to healthy eating to three categories: lack of knowledge, lack of self-control, and lack of time, with a higher summary score indicating more perceived barriers. We administered assessments of health literacy and physical activity. We analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and ordinal regression analysis. RESULTS: We included 151 participants with a median age of 64; 54% were female and 68.2% were Hispanic. Median BMI was 31.9 kg/m2. Most respondents, 68.2%, had low health literacy and were either underactive, 29.1% or sedentary, 23.2%. Lack of self-control was the strongest barrier to achieving a healthy lifestyle, followed by lack of knowledge. Lack of time was not significant barrier. Patients with the most significant barriers were more likely to have obesity, low health literacy, and be sedentary. DISCUSSION: Lack of self-control and knowledge are the greatest barriers to adopting a healthy lifestyle in patients with SLD. Future clinical interventions should integrate education that targets various health literacy levels with behavioral approaches to improve a sense of agency.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Text Message Intervention to Promote Adherence to Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines in a Predominantly Hispanic Sample of Cancer Survivors and Their Informal Caregivers: Results from a Pilot Intervention Trial.

Hispanic cancer survivors face unique barriers to meeting American Cancer Society (ACS) nutrition and physical activity guidelines, which reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and mortality and improve quality of life. This pilot intervention trial evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a two-week ACS guideline-based nutrition and physical activity text message intervention in a predominantly Hispanic sample of cancer survivors and their informal caregivers. A mixed methods approach was used to assess feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Feasibility and acceptability were measured by meeting a-priori cut-offs of >80% for recruitment, retention, and text message response rate. Participants also completed a semi-structured exit interview by telephone that assessed intervention components. Thirteen cancer survivors and six caregivers (n = 19) participated in this pilot study; 78% self-identified as Hispanic. Mean time since treatment completion for survivors was 11.9 years (SD 8.4), and 67% had breast cancer. Cancer survivors had a higher acceptability rate for physical activity (94%) compared to nutrition messages (86%), whereas equal acceptability rates were observed for both types of messages among caregivers (91%). Texting interventions are a feasible, acceptable, and a cost-effective strategy that have the potential to promote lifestyle behavior change among Hispanic cancer survivors and caregivers.

The Effects of Parent-Adolescent Acculturation Gaps on Adolescent Lifestyle Behaviors: Moderating Role of Family Communication.

Objectives: This study examined 1) associations between parent-adolescent acculturation gaps in Americanism and Hispanicism and adolescents' lifestyle behaviors (fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity), and 2) the moderating roles of adolescent- and parent-reported family communication on these associations. Methods: Hispanic adolescents who have overweight or obesity (n=280; 52% female, 13.0±0.8 years old) and their parents (88% female, 44.9±6.5 years old) completed baseline measures on acculturation, family communication, weekly physical activity, and daily fruit and vegetable intake as part of their participation in a family-based health promotion efficacy trial. Acculturation gaps were calculated by taking the product of adolescent and parent scores for each subscale (Americanism and Hispanicism). We conducted multiple linear regression analyses with three-way interaction terms (e.g., parent Americanism x adolescent Americanism x family communication) to assess for moderation. Results: Family communication significantly moderated the association between parent-adolescent acculturation gaps in Americanism and adolescent fruit and vegetable intake. For families with low adolescent-reported family communication, parent-adolescent discrepancies in Americanism were associated with lower adolescent fruit and vegetable intake whereas there were no significant associations for families with high family communication. There were no effects on weekly minutes of physical activity. Acculturation gaps in Hispanicism were not significantly associated with either outcome. Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of parent-adolescent acculturation gaps and family communication on fruit and vegetable intake for Hispanic adolescents. Targeting parent-adolescent acculturation gaps for families with low levels of communication may be important to improve dietary behaviors in Hispanic adolescents, who are already disproportionately affected by obesity.

Objetivos: El siguiente estudio tiene como objetivo examinar 1) las asociaciones de las brechas de aculturación padre-adolescente en americanismo e hispanismo sobre comportamiento en el estilo de vida de los adolescentes (ingesta de frutas y verduras, y actividad física), 2) y el efecto moderador de la comunicación familiar reportada por padres y adolescentes sobre estas asociaciones. Métodos: Como parte de su participación para un estudio de eficacia de una intervención familiar para la promoción a la salud, adolescentes hispanos con sobrepeso u obesidad (n=280; 52% mujeres, 13,0 ± 0,8 años), y sus padres (88% mujeres, 44,9 ± 6,5 años) completaron cuestionarios de aculturación, comunicación familiar, actividad física semanal e ingesta diaria de frutas y verduras como parte de medidas de base.Las brechas de aculturación se calcularon tomando el producto de las puntuaciones de los adolescentes y los padres para cada sub-escala (americanismo e hispanismo). Para evaluar el efecto moderador, se realizaron análisis de regresión lineal múltiple con términos de interacción de tres vías (p. ej., americanismo de los padres x americanismo del adolescente x comunicación familiar). Resultados: La comunicación familiar moderó significativamente la asociación entre las brechas de aculturación entre padres e hijos adolescentes en el americanismo, y el consumo de frutas y verduras por parte de los adolescentes. Para las familias con baja comunicación familiar reportada por los adolescentes, las discrepancias entre padres y adolescentes en el americanismo se asociaron con una menor ingesta de frutas y verduras en los adolescentes, mientras que no hubo asociaciones significativas para las familias con alta comunicación familiar; tampoco se encontró asociación en los efectos sobre los minutos semanales de actividad física. Las brechas de aculturación en el hispanismo no se asociaron significativamente con ninguno de los resultados. Conclusiones: Los hallazgos hacen énfasis a la importancia de las brechas de aculturación entre padres y adolescentes al igual que a la importancia de la comunicación familiar, sobre el consumo de frutas y verduras en los adolescentes hispanos. Impactar en las brechas de aculturación entre padres y adolescentes en familias con bajo nivele de comunicación puede ser importante para mejorar los comportamientos alimentarios en los adolescentes hispanos, que ya, estos, se ven afectados de manera desproporcionada por la obesidad.

Functions of Resiliency Traits and Processes in Differential Effects of CBSM on Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Moderated Mediation Model.

BACKGROUND: Although there is evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based group interventions can improve quality of life (QoL) in women undergoing treatment for breast cancer (BC) little is known about factors that mediate and moderate these effects. We examined a) the mediating role of benefit finding on QoL changes after a Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management (CBSM) intervention, and b) whether this mediation effect differed based on baseline optimism in the first year following surgery for BC. METHODS: We used data from a prior CBSM trial in 240 women with stage 0-3 BC who completed measures of benefit finding (Benefit Finding Scale, BFS), QoL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment, FACT-G), and optimism (Life Orientation Test-Revised) at baseline (2 - 10 weeks post-surgery), 6-months and 12-months after randomization. CBSM-related changes and mediation and moderation effects were assessed using latent growth curve models. RESULTS: We found CBSM increased benefit finding (b = 2.65, p < 0.01), emotional (b = 0.53, p < 0.01), and functional QoL (b = 0.71, p < 0.05) over time. CBSM-related changes in emotional QoL were mediated by increased benefit finding (indirect effect = 0.68, 95% bootstrapped CI: 0.17, 1.56) but only among participants with low to moderate optimism at baseline. CONCLUSION: CBSM intervention improved emotional QoL over the first year of breast cancer treatment by increasing benefit finding among women who reported low trait optimism suggesting those who will most likely benefit from improving benefit finding during this stressful period.

Physical Fitness Among Adolescents Who are Hispanic With Overweight or Obesity.

PURPOSE: To describe cardiorespiratory, strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility fitness outcomes in a sample of adolescents who are Hispanic aged 11 to 15 years with overweight or obesity, stratified by age and sex. METHODS: The sample included 280 adolescents (mean age: 13.0 ± 0.83 years, mean body mass index percentile: 94.6). Anthropometric measures included height, weight, body mass index percentile, and waist and hip circumference. Fitness measures included handgrip strength, sit-ups in 60 seconds, sit-and-reach test, and 6-minute walk test. We report mean scores for each fitness outcome measure and correlation coefficients with anthropometric measures. RESULTS: Mean handgrip was 23.7 ± 6.48 kg, sit-and-reach test was 25.3 ± 8.13 cm, average sit-ups in 60 seconds were 19.4 ± 9.28, and 6-minute walk distance was 1960 ± 271 ft. Males outperformed females in all tests except sit-and-reach test. DISCUSSION: Compared with published fitness values of healthy weight adolescents, our sample of adolescents who are Hispanic with overweight/obesity living in southern Florida is unconditioned in terms of cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility.

Designing a virtual mental health consultation program to support and strengthen childcare centers impacted by COVID-19: A randomized controlled trial protocol.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative psychosocial impacts on young children; teachers in childcare centers continue to be overwhelmed by how to address the downstream psychological effects children are experiencing. This randomized controlled trial will study the role of a community-based, childcare center-support system in improving resilience and mitigating the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on children's development. METHODS: This study will be modeled on a successful Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (ECMHC) intervention which utilizes mental health consultants to deliver a Jump Start+: COVID 19 Support (JS + CS) virtual toolkit to childcare centers in Miami-Dade County via a Kubi robot. The toolkit comprises four strength-based strategies likely to be effective in improving resiliency following disasters: Safety Planning, Effective Communication, Adult Self-Care, and Trauma-Informed Behavior Support. Our first aim will utilize a cluster randomized trial to examine the effectiveness of JS + CS on improving the psychosocial functioning of young children, as compared to an obesity prevention intervention control group. Children will be followed at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. The second aim will examine the mechanisms that contribute to effective uptake by teachers of the JS + CS support strategies on child outcomes. The third aim will explore implementation barriers/facilitators as well as potential societal contextual factors (e.g., vaccine uptake) to help centers serving disproportionately affected minority communities recover from and prepare for future crises. CONCLUSION: This design will inform the refinement and scaling of JS + CS and generalize impacts to other childcare center interventions in the context of disasters.

Applying Rapid Qualitative Analysis for Health Equity: Lessons Learned Using "EARS" With Latino Communities.

Qualitative research amplifies the voices of marginalized communities and thus plays a critical role in shaping our understanding of health inequities and their social determinants. Traditional qualitative approaches, such as grounded theory or thematic analysis, require extensive training and are time- and labor-intensive; as such, they may not be adequately suited to address healthy equity issues that require a swift response. Rapid qualitative analysis (RQA) is an action-oriented approach to qualitative data analysis that may be used when findings are needed to quickly inform practice. RQA capitalizes on using a team to summarize key points from qualitative data into matrices to explore relevant themes efficiently and systematically. In this paper, we provide case examples from our work applying RQA to health equity research with Latino communities to address community needs, such as responses to public health emergencies and the development of service delivery and technology interventions for infectious and chronic diseases. We draw from our collective experiences to share lessons learned and provide the following specific recommendations ("EARS") to researchers interested in applying RQA for health equity research: (1) Employ RQA to address rapidly evolving, urgent, health equity challenges; (2) Assure quality and rigor throughout the RQA process; (3) Respond to barriers and problem-solve as needed; and (4) Strengthen community relationships before, during, and after using RQA. Overall, we advocate for the use of RQA to promote health equity due to its ability to integrate the vital perspectives of marginalized communities and efficiently respond to their needs.

A latent class analysis of health behavior changes after cancer diagnosis among Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors.

PURPOSE: We aimed to identify subgroups of Hispanic/Latino (H/L) cancer survivors with distinct health behavior patterns and their associated sociodemographic, medical, and psychosocial characteristics. METHODS: Baseline data were used from a randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of an enhanced patient navigation intervention in H/L cancer survivors. Participants (n = 278) completed the Lifestyle Behavior Scale and validated questionnaires on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), supportive care needs, distress, and satisfaction with cancer care. Latent class analysis was used to determine the latent classes and associated characteristics. RESULTS: Three latent classes emerged: class 1 (survivors who increased health behaviors [e.g., exercising and eating healthy] since diagnosis); class 2 (no changes in health behaviors since diagnosis); and class 3 (a "mixed class," with a higher or lower engagement across various health behaviors since diagnosis). Participants in class 1 were significantly more educated and less likely to be foreign born. Participants in class 2 were significantly older and more likely to have prostate cancer. H/L cancer survivors in class 3 had a significantly lower income, were less educated, and reported greater unmet supportive care needs, more distress, and poorer HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Survivors who report engaging in health behaviors less frequently since diagnosis may be experiencing psychosocial challenges and health disparities. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Hispanic/Latino cancer survivors may benefit from screening for social determinants of health and mental health needs, prompt referral to supportive care services, community resources, and public services, and participating in culturally informed psychosocial interventions to address their unique needs.

Firefighter Well-Being Defined and Operationalized at the Organizational and Worker Level: A Qualitative Study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to define and explore organizational- and worker-level factors of firefighter well-being. METHODS: Qualitative data were collected using interviews and focus group sessions among 17 career firefighters across 4 fire departments. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and a general inductive approach was used to code similar concepts into themes. RESULTS: Firefighters defined well-being as being content with oneself and being able to balance ones' emotional, mental, and physical health. Themes contributing to firefighter well-being include the nature of the job, the influence of others, and physical health. Subthemes mapping to themes include dealing with trauma, compartmentalizing work and home life, coworkers and station culture, the role of superiors on attitudes and practices, being a reliable firefighter, and lack of sleep. CONCLUSIONS: Career firefighters describe well-being as a holistic approach to balancing emotional, mental, and physical health.

The Results of the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss Randomized Trial in Overweight African American Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Few intervention studies have integrated cultural tailoring, parenting, behavioral, and motivational strategies to address African American adolescent weight loss. PURPOSE: The Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss trial was a randomized group cohort study testing the efficacy of a cultural tailoring, positive parenting, and motivational intervention for weight loss in overweight African American adolescents (N = 241 adolescent/caregiver dyads). METHODS: The trial tested an 8-week face-to-face group motivational plus family weight loss program (M + FWL) compared with a comprehensive health education control program. Participants were then rerandomized to an 8-week tailored or control online program to test the added effects of the online intervention on reducing body mass index and improving physical activity (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity [MVPA], light physical activity [LPA]), and diet. RESULTS: There were no significant intervention effects for body mass index or diet. There was a significant effect of the group M + FWL intervention on parent LPA at 16 weeks (B = 33.017, SE = 13.115, p = .012). Parents in the group M + FWL intervention showed an increase in LPA, whereas parents in the comprehensive health education group showed a decrease in LPA. Secondary analyses using complier average causal effects showed a significant intervention effect at 16 weeks for parents on MVPA and a similar trend for adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: While the intervention showed some impact on physical activity, additional strategies are needed to impact weight loss among overweight African American adolescents.

Pediatric Obesity Prevention and Treatment Among Hispanics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The rates of pediatric obesity in the U.S. are highest among Hispanics. There is no existing meta-analysis of the effects of obesity interventions among Hispanic youth. This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses the effects of obesity prevention and treatment interventions on Hispanic youth's weight status and lifestyle behaviors. METHODS: PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched between January 1, 2000 and October 30, 2020. Interventions with ≥50% Hispanic youth aged 0-18 years were included. Using a weighted inverse-variance procedure, fixed-effects and random-effects models were run for an overall effect size on the basis of the Qtotal test statistic. Hedges' g was calculated for outcomes of interest between baseline and postintervention separately for studies with multiple versus single conditions. Continuous and categorical moderators were also examined. RESULTS: A total of 1,103 articles were screened, of which 117 were included in the narrative synthesis and 105 in the meta-analysis (n=49,276 youth). The overall effects for RCT/quasi-experimental studies on BMI status (g= -0.15, SE=0.03, 95% CI= -0.20, -0.10), waist circumference (g= -0.15, SE=0.10, 95% CI= -0.35, -0.05), physical activity (g=0.12, SE=0.05, 95% CI=0.03, 0.22), fruit and vegetable intake (g=0.08, SE=0.02, 95% CI=0.03, 0.12), and sugar-sweetened beverage intake (g= -0.07, SE= 0.03, 95% CI= -0.13, -0.01) were small. Intervention effects varied by participant developmental stage, SES, study setting, and lifestyle behavior target. DISCUSSION: Beyond developing more impactful interventions to address obesity among Hispanic youth, findings highlight the need for targeted policies and more easily disseminable interventions that can spread small effects across a population for maximal public health impact.

Intergenerational cardiovascular disease risks among Hispanics living in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have assessed intergenerational associations of obesity and cardiovascular disease risks from parents to their children among Hispanic Americans. OBJECTIVES: To assess intergenerational cardiovascular associations among Hispanic families. METHODS: Using baseline data from an obesity-focused efficacy trial targeting Hispanic adolescents (n = 280) and their parents, we conducted a series of logistic regression analyses to investigate the effects of parental BMI and blood pressure on adolescents' BMI and blood pressure, respectively. RESULTS: After adjusting for significant socio-demographic variables and adolescents' lifestyle behaviours, adolescents were more than twice as likely to be in the severely obese versus overweight range when their parents had obesity (vs. non-obese; OR = 2.55, 95% CI = 1.20, 5.39) and more than twice as likely to be in the severely obese versus obese weight range (OR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.22, 4.87) when their parents had obesity. When compared to those with normal blood pressure, adolescents who had parents with elevated blood pressure/hypertension were more than twice as likely to have elevated blood pressure (OR = 2.05, 95% CI = 1.04, 4.00) or be classified as hypertensive stage 1/2 (OR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.31, 6.01). CONCLUSIONS: Both severe obesity and elevated blood pressure are highly associated among Hispanic parent-child dyads. Findings underscore the potential benefits of intervening with the family system.

A latent profile analysis to assess physical, cognitive and emotional symptom clusters in women with breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Current research on the physical and psychological functioning of breast cancer survivors often takes an approach where symptoms are studied independently even though they often occur in clusters This paper aims to identify physical and psychological symptom clusters among breast cancer survivors while assessing clinical, psychosocial and demographic characteristics that predict subgroup membership. DESIGN: Using post-surgical data collected from 240 women with stage 0-III breast cancer, symptom clusters were identified using latent profile analysis of patient-reported symptoms. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Baseline measures included the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, the Fatigue Symptom Inventory, the Hamilton Rating Scales for depression and anxiety and the Impact of Event Scale. RESULTS: Three distinct classes were identified: (1) mild physical, cognitive and emotional symptoms, (2) moderate across all domains and (3) high levels of all symptoms. Lower socio-economic status, minority ethnicity, younger age, advanced disease stage along with lower self-efficacy and less internal locus of control were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of class 3 membership. CONCLUSION: By identifying those most at risk for severe physical and psychological symptoms in the post-surgical period, our results can guide the development of tailored interventions to optimise quality of life during breast cancer treatment.

Formative Development of a Technology-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Grandparents and Grandchildren.

Physical inactivity is a major public health issue among older adults and children. This study presents preliminary results that will inform the development of a technology-based physical activity intervention for grandparents and grandchildren (ages 6-12 years old). The authors used an iterative user-centered design framework to gather quantitative data from grandparents (n = 35) and subsequently invited a subset of 12 of them to engage in qualitative interviews. Participants were 63.1 ± 9.8 years old, 80% female, 64% U.S.-born, 43% Hispanic, 66% single, and 40% <$15K income. The majority of grandparents reported mobile device proficiency, very close relationships with their grandchildren, and interest in participating in an intergenerational intervention. Four key themes related to family closeness, dynamics, routines, and technology informed intervention development. Next steps involved a pilot trial using Fitbits and a fully functioning technology-based prototype. Grandparents are uniquely positioned within their families to serve as agents of change in health-promoting interventions.

Results of a Family-Based Intervention Promoting Healthy Weight Strategies in Overweight Hispanic Adolescents and Parents: An RCT.

INTRODUCTION: Hispanic adolescents in the U.S. are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity compared with their White, non-Hispanic counterparts. This study examines the efficacy of an evidence-based family intervention adapted to target obesity-related outcomes among Hispanic adolescents who were overweight/obese compared with prevention as usual. STUDY DESIGN: This study was an RCT. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Participants were Hispanic adolescents who were overweight/obese (n=280, mean age=13.01 [SD=0.82] years) in the 7th/8th grade and their primary caregivers. Primary caregivers were majority female legal guardians (88% female, mean age=41.88 [SD=6.50] years). INTERVENTION: Participants were randomized into the family-level obesity-targeted intervention or referral to community services offered for overweight/obese adolescents and families (condition). Data collection began in 2015. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcomes included dietary intake (e.g., reduction of sweetened beverages) and past-month moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Secondary outcomes were BMI and family functioning assessed among adolescents and primary caregivers. RESULTS: Study analyses (2019) indicated no significant intervention effects for adolescents' primary outcomes. Intervention effects were found for parents' intake of fresh fruits and vegetables (ß=0.12, 95% CI=0.02, 0.23), added sugar (ß= -0.11, 95% CI= -0.22, -0.004), and sweetened beverages (ß= -0.12, 95% CI=-0.23, -0.02), and parents showed decreased BMI (ß= -0.05, 95% CI= -0.11, -0.01) at 6 months after baseline compared with usual prevention. Intervention effects were found for adolescent family communication (ß=0.13, 95% CI=0.02, 0.24), peer monitoring (ß=0.12, 95% CI=0.01, 0.23), and parental involvement (ß=0.16, 95% CI=0.06, 0.26) at 6 months after baseline compared with prevention as usual. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention was not effective in improving overweight/obesity-related outcomes in adolescents. The intervention was effective in improving parents' dietary intake and BMI; however, the effects were not sustained in the long term. Other intervention strategies (e.g., booster sessions, increased nutritional information) may be necessary to sustain beneficial effects and extend effects to adolescent participants. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT03943628.

A qualitative study of social connectedness and its relationship to community health programs in rural Chiapas, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: Social connectedness is an important predictor of health outcomes and plays a large role in the physical and mental health of an individual and a community. The presence of a functioning health clinic with a community health worker program may indirectly improve health outcomes by increasing the social connectedness of the community in addition to providing direct patient care. This study examines the social connectedness of the inhabitants of three Mexican towns within the catchment area of a healthcare Non-Government Organization (NGO) through a qualitative analysis. METHODS: Willing participants were videotaped answering open-ended questions about their community and use of healthcare resources. Interviews were then coded for relevant themes and analyzed for content relating to social connectedness, social isolation, and health. RESULTS: Respondents reported that having a functioning community clinic had improved their lives significantly through direct provision of care and by reducing the financial burden of travel to seek medical care elsewhere. Respondents from each town differed slightly in their primary means of social support. One town relied more heavily on organized groups (i.e., religious groups) for their support system. Social isolation was reported most frequently by housewives who felt isolated in the home and by respondents that had to deal with personal illness. Respondents that self-identified as Community Health Workers (CHWs) in their respective communities acknowledged that their roles bestowed physical and psychological health benefits upon themselves and their families. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, a long-term health intervention may directly impact the relative social isolation and social connectedness of a community's inhabitants. The social connectedness of the community is an important quality that must be considered when evaluating and planning health interventions.

Families Improving Together (FIT) for weight loss: a resource for translation of a positive climate-based intervention into community settings.

Climate-based weight loss interventions, or those that foster a nurturing family environment, address important ecological influences typically ignored by the traditional biomedical treatments. Promoting a climate characterized by positive communication, autonomy support, and parental warmth supports adolescents in making healthy behavioral changes. In addition, encouraging these skills within the family may have additional benefits of improved family functioning and other mental and physical health outcomes. Although several programs have identified essential elements and established the evidence base for the efficacy of these interventions, few have offered resources for the translation of these constructs from theoretical concepts to tangible practice. This paper provides strategies and resources utilized in the Families Improving Together (FIT) for weight loss randomized controlled trial to create a warm, supportive climate characterized by positive communication within the parent-child relationship. Detailed descriptions of how Project FIT emphasized these constructs through facilitator training, intervention curriculum, and process evaluation are provided as a resource for clinical and community interventions. Researchers are encouraged to provide resources to promote translation of evidence-based interventions for programs aiming to utilize a positive climate-based family approach for lifestyle modification.

Development of a multigenerational digital lifestyle intervention for women cancer survivors and their families.

OBJECTIVES: This paper presents the results of a study developed to inform the design of a multigenerational digital lifestyle intervention for overweight/obese women cancer survivors and their families. We followed the first six phases of the Integrate, Design, Assess, and Share (IDEAS) framework. METHODS: Grandmothers with breast, endometrial, or ovarian cancers (n = 46; 66.1 ± 0.9 years old; 34% Hispanic, 33% non-Hispanic black, 33% non-Hispanic white) self-reported their lifestyle behaviors, family structure, mobile device use, and interest in a family-based lifestyle intervention. A randomly selected subset of 21 participants subsequently completed qualitative interviews to understand their family relationships, weight-related challenges, and feedback on intervention prototypes. RESULTS: Participants reported low fruit intake (0.9 ± 0.1 servings/day), moderate vegetable intake (3.0 ± 0.2 servings/day), and high levels of moderate physical activity (990 ± 234 MET-minutes/week). The majority owned a smartphone (93%) and expressed interest in family-based programs (80%) that focused on weight management (91%). Qualitative data were collapsed into seven intervention considerations, including: capitalizing on existing familial support, involving local family who need lifestyle change, tapping into survivors' internal strengths, validating prior weight loss, overcoming barriers to sustained lifestyle change, providing information on cancer risk, and motivating families through reinforcing activities. CONCLUSIONS: Following the IDEAS framework, our next steps are to develop a fully-functioning prototype and conduct a randomized pilot trial to test the feasibility and effects of a digital intervention that empowers racially/ethnically diverse overweight/obese women cancer survivors to improve their physical activity and dietary intake and to lose weight by encouraging healthy lifestyle behaviors in their children and grandchildren.

"Am I doing this wrong?" Breastfeeding mothers' use of an online forum.

As mothers seek out information around breastfeeding, many are turning to online message boards, listservs, or social media for advice. Babycenter.com, a parenting website with widespread use, hosts a Breastfeeding Support and Help community forum with over 140,000 users and more than one million conversation threads. The purpose of this study is to examine this online support forum to understand the information seeking and sharing practices of its users. We extracted a total of 258 original posts and 1,445 corresponding comments from Babycenter.com's breastfeeding forum posted over a 10-day period. Using content analysis, we coded the posts into 15 categories reflective of the types of information users were seeking. We then randomly selected 45 conversation threads across the most popular categories to further understand how users were sharing information. The most popular breastfeeding topics for which users sought out information included feeding challenges, supply issues, feeding schedule and duration, pumping, physical health, excretion issues, storing milk, nipple issues, and general breastfeeding questions. Participants elicited information from others using interviewing questions and built consensus around issues by agreeing with previous posts. They shared their knowledge and personal breastfeeding experiences and also provided encouragement to continue breastfeeding and overcome challenges. Online support forums are actively being used by breastfeeding mothers seeking information from others with similar experiences. This presents an important resource for breastfeeding mothers and may, therefore, be an important component of future breastfeeding interventions.

A developmental cascade perspective of paediatric obesity: A systematic review of preventive interventions from infancy through late adolescence.

The goals of this systematic review were to identify and describe paediatric obesity prevention interventions from infancy to late adolescence and to provide recommendations for future intervention research in light of a recently proposed developmental cascade (DC) model of paediatric obesity. We conducted an electronic search of randomized controlled trials with a minimum 6-month postintervention follow-up published between 1995 and 2019. We included 74 interventions: prenatal/infancy (n = 4), early childhood (n = 11), childhood (n = 38), early to mid-adolescence (n = 18), and late adolescence (n = 3). Infancy and early childhood trials targeted early feeding and positive parenting skills. Half of the childhood and adolescence trials were school based and used universal prevention strategies; those classified as selective or indicated prevention tended to involve the family for more intensive lifestyle modification. Less than 10% of studies followed participants over long periods of time (greater than or equal to 5 years), and only 16% and 31% of studies assessed intervention mediators and moderators, respectively. We recommend that future interventions focus on early prevention, assess long-term intervention effects, use a standardized taxonomy for defining intervention behavioural strategies, assess underlying mechanisms of action and intervention moderators, target parent and family management strategies across development, and increase scientific equity. We also provide specific recommendations regarding intervention targets for each developmental stage.