Development and validation of green eating behaviors, stage of change, decisional balance, and self-efficacy scales in college students.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate an instrument to assess environmentally conscious eating (Green Eating [GE]) behavior (BEH) and GE Transtheoretical Model constructs including Stage of Change (SOC), Decisional Balance (DB), and Self-efficacy (SE). DESIGN: Cross-sectional instrument development survey. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample (n = 954) of 18- to 24-year-old college students from a northeastern university. ANALYSIS: The sample was randomly split: (N1) and (N2). N1 was used for exploratory factor analyses using principal components analyses; N2 was used for confirmatory analyses (structural modeling) and reliability analyses (coefficient α). The full sample was used for measurement invariance (multi-group confirmatory analyses) and convergent validity (BEH) and known group validation (DB and SE) by SOC using analysis of variance. RESULTS: Reliable (α > .7), psychometrically sound, and stable measures included 2 correlated 5-item DB subscales (Pros and Cons), 2 correlated SE subscales (school [5 items] and home [3 items]), and a single 6-item BEH scale. Most students (66%) were in Precontemplation and Contemplation SOC. Behavior, DB, and SE scales differed significantly by SOC (P < .001) with moderate to large effect sizes, as predicted by the Transtheoretical Model, which supported the validity of these measures. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Successful development and preliminary validation of this 25-item GE instrument provides a basis for assessment as well as development of tailored interventions for college students.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers alter hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase enzyme kinetics in male Wistar rats: implications for lipid and glucose metabolism.

Xenobiotics such as phenobarbital, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, and Aroclor 1254 significantly suppress the activity of a key gluconeogenic and glyceroneogenic enzyme, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), suggesting that xenobiotics disrupt hepatic glucose and fat metabolism. The effects of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), a family of synthetic flame-retardant chemicals, on PEPCK activity is unknown. This study investigated the effect of DE-71, a commercial PBDE mixture, on PEPCK enzyme kinetics. Forty-eight 1-mo-old male Wistar rats were gavaged daily with either corn oil or corn oil containing 14 mg/kg DE-71 for 3, 14, or 28 d (n = 8/group). At each time point, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide were measured and hepatic PEPCK activity, lipid content, and three cytochrome P-450 enzymes (CYP1A, -2B, and -3A) were assayed. PBDE treatment for 28 d significantly decreased PEPCK Vmax ( µ mol/min/g liver weight) by 43% and increased liver lipid by 20%, compared to control. CYP1A, -2B, and -3A Vmax values were enhanced by 5-, 6-, and 39-fold, respectively, at both 14 and 28 d in treated rats compared to control. There was a significant inverse and temporal correlation between CYP3A and PEPCK Vmax for the treatment group. Fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels were not markedly affected by treatment, but the glucose:insulin ratio was significantly higher in treated compared to control rats. Data suggest that in vivo PBDE treatment compromises liver glucose and lipid metabolism, and may influence whole-body insulin sensitivity.