Evaluation of microcomputer nutritional teaching games in 1,876 children at school.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated in a prospective study microcomputer nutritional teaching games and their contribution to the children's acquisition of nutritional knowledge and improvement of eating habits. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One thousand eight hundred seventy-six children aged 7-12 years took part in this study at school. All 16 schools of the same school district were randomized into two groups: games group and control group, both receiving conventional nutritional teaching by their teachers. The children in the games group played computer games during the conventional nutritional teaching period (2 hours a week for 5 weeks). At completion of the study, dietetic knowledge and dietary records were evaluated in both groups. RESULTS: Dietary knowledge tests results were better in the games group (p<0.001). The children in the games group had a significantly better balanced diet for an energy intake of about 1900 kilocalories: more carbohydrate (46.4 +/- 0.2% vs 45.7 +/- 0.2%, p<0.05), less fat (37.1 +/- 0.1% vs 37.6 +/- 0.2%, p<0.05), less protein (16.5 +/- 0.1% vs 16.7 +/- 0.1%, p<0.05), less saccharose (11.5 +/- 0.1% vs 12.2 +/- 0.2%, p<0.001), more calcium (p<0.001) and more fiber (p<0.05). The games group had a better snack at 10 a.m., a less copious lunch and less nibbling (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The children in the games group had slightly but significantly better nutritional knowledge and dietary intake compared to children in the control group. Using our micro computer nutritional teaching games at school provides an additional and modern support to conventional teaching.

Association between calcium ingested from drinking water and femoral bone density in elderly women: evidence from the EPIDOS cohort.

Although the main source of dietary calcium is dairy products, the calcium contained in mineral water, which is as available as that of milk, could provide a valuable source of calcium. We analyzed the data from the EPIDOS multicenter study to evaluate the relationship between both dietary calcium and that supplied by drinking water and bone density measured at the femoral neck by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The study included 4434 women over 75 years of age who had not received any treatment likely to interfere with calcium metabolism. A significant correlation was found between total calcium intake and bone density at the femoral neck (r = 0.10, p < 0. 001). After adjustment for the main variables influencing bone density, an increase of 100 mg/day in calcium from drinking water was associated to a 0.5% increase in femoral bone density, while a similar increase in dietary calcium from other sources only led to a 0.2% increase; however, this difference was not significant. The consumption of calcium-rich mineral water may be of interest, especially in older women who consume little calcium from dairy products.

[Modelization of growth between 0 and 3 years of age in children born in Toulouse in 1993-1994 and comparison with Sempé's growth curves]. / Modélisation de la croissance staturale entre 0 et 3 ans d'enfants nés à Toulouse en 1993-1994 et comparaison avec les courbes de Sempé.

AIM: The growth charts usually used in France were established by Sempé et al from the study of children born in 1953-1955. The aim of our study was to construct longitudinal growth charts from 0 to 3-year-old children born in 1993-1994, and to compare those with the charts made 40 years ago. POPULATION AND METHODS: One hundred forty-five term neonates (75 boys and 70 girls) born in Toulouse in 1993-1994 were included in our study. Their heights were noted every 3 months during the first year of life, then every 6 months until the age of 3. A two-stage model to modelize growth curves was used for the available data (66 boys and 61 girls). RESULTS: Mean heights were higher in our study than in Sempé's. In each sex, the mean curve was 0.6 to 0.8 SD far from Sempé's mean curve. Standard deviations rose from 2.0 to 4.0 cm between the ages of 2 months and 3 years. At the age of 3, boys and girls were respectively 2.7 cm and 2.3 cm taller than in the Sempé's study. Differences could not be explained by sample bias. DISCUSSION: Constructions and publication of recent French growth charts seem necessary in order to be able to compare one child's growth to the growth of same age and sex children.

Growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 are regulated differently in small-for-gestational-age and appropriate-for-gestational-age neonates.

Growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) were measured in 90 neonates during the first 5 days of life. Twenty-six small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates were compared with 64 appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) neonates. There were no differences in nutritional status between the 2 groups. Mean GH levels were significantly higher in the SGA group (53.4 +/- 30.8 vs. 39.9 +/- 23.3 microg/l; p < 0.05). In both groups GH levels correlated with birth weight (expressed as SDS) but not with gestational age. IGF-I levels were significantly lower in SGA neonates (6.6 +/- 4.0 vs. 11.7 +/- 8.2 ng/ml; p < 0.01). In SGA neonates with short stature, IGF-I levels were lower and GH levels were higher than in normal stature SGA neonates. IGFBP-3 levels were significantly lower in SGA neonates than in AGA neonates (0.72 +/- 0.40 vs. 0.98 +/- 0.43 microg/l; p < 0.01). IGF-I and IGFBP-3 correlated with gestational age in AGA but not in SGA neonates and there was no correlation with birth weight in either group. Our data provide evidence for a graduation in the severity of impact of fetal 'malnutrition' on the somatotropic axis and on intrauterine growth. The most severe state (SGA with short stature) was associated with a GH-resistance syndrome, characterized by very low IGF-I levels and high GH levels.