The Effect of an Obesity Prevention Intervention Among Specific Subpopulations: A Heterogeneity of Treatment Effect Analysis of the Greenlight Trial.

Background: Understanding how different populations respond to a childhood obesity intervention could help optimize personalized treatment strategies, especially with the goal to reduce disparities in obesity. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Greenlight Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, a health communication focused pediatric obesity prevention trial, to evaluate for heterogeneity of treatment effect (HTE) by child biological sex, caregiver BMI, caregiver reported race and ethnicity, primary language, and health literacy. To examine HTE on BMI z-score from 2 to 24 months of age, we fit linear mixed effects models. Results: We analyzed 802 caregiver-child pairs, of which 52% of children were female, 58% of households reported annual family income of <$20,000, and 83% did not have a college degree. We observed evidence to suggest HTE by primary language (p = 0.047 for Spanish vs. English) and the combination of primary language and health literacy (p = 0.01). There was insufficient evidence to suggest that the Greenlight intervention effect differed by biological sex, caregiver BMI, or by race/ethnicity. Conclusions: This HTE analysis found that the Greenlight obesity prevention intervention had a more beneficial effect on child BMI z-score over 2 years for children of caregivers with limited health literacy and for caregivers for whom Spanish was the primary language.

User-Centered Framework for Implementation of Technology (UFIT): Development of an Integrated Framework for Designing Clinical Decision Support Tools Packaged With Tailored Implementation Strategies.

BACKGROUND: Electronic health record-based clinical decision support (CDS) tools can facilitate the adoption of evidence into practice. Yet, the impact of CDS beyond single-site implementation is often limited by dissemination and implementation barriers related to site- and user-specific variation in workflows and behaviors. The translation of evidence-based CDS from initial development to implementation in heterogeneous environments requires a framework that assures careful balancing of fidelity to core functional elements with adaptations to ensure compatibility with new contexts. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to develop and apply a framework to guide tailoring and implementing CDS across diverse clinical settings. METHODS: In preparation for a multisite trial implementing CDS for pediatric overweight or obesity in primary care, we developed the User-Centered Framework for Implementation of Technology (UFIT), a framework that integrates principles from user-centered design (UCD), human factors/ergonomics theories, and implementation science to guide both CDS adaptation and tailoring of related implementation strategies. Our transdisciplinary study team conducted semistructured interviews with pediatric primary care clinicians and a diverse group of stakeholders from 3 health systems in the northeastern, midwestern, and southeastern United States to inform and apply the framework for our formative evaluation. RESULTS: We conducted 41 qualitative interviews with primary care clinicians (n=21) and other stakeholders (n=20). Our workflow analysis found 3 primary ways in which clinicians interact with the electronic health record during primary care well-child visits identifying opportunities for decision support. Additionally, we identified differences in practice patterns across contexts necessitating a multiprong design approach to support a variety of workflows, user needs, preferences, and implementation strategies. CONCLUSIONS: UFIT integrates theories and guidance from UCD, human factors/ergonomics, and implementation science to promote fit with local contexts for optimal outcomes. The components of UFIT were used to guide the development of Improving Pediatric Obesity Practice Using Prompts, an integrated package comprising CDS for obesity or overweight treatment with tailored implementation strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05627011; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05627011.

The Injury Prevention Program to Reduce Early Childhood Injuries: A Cluster Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The American Academy of Pediatrics designed The Injury Prevention Program (TIPP) in 1983 to help pediatricians prevent unintentional injuries, but TIPP's effectiveness has never been formally evaluated. We sought to evaluate the impact of TIPP on reported injuries in the first 2 years of life. METHODS: We conducted a stratified, cluster-randomized trial at 4 academic medical centers: 2 centers trained their pediatric residents and implemented TIPP screening and counseling materials at all well-child checks (WCCs) for ages 2 to 24 months, and 2 centers implemented obesity prevention. At each WCC, parents reported the number of child injuries since the previous WCC. Proportional odds logistic regression analyses with generalized estimating equation examined the extent to which the number of injuries reported were reduced at TIPP intervention sites compared with control sites, adjusting for baseline child, parent, and household factors. RESULTS: A total of 781 parent-infant dyads (349 TIPP; 432 control) were enrolled and had sufficient data to qualify for analyses: 51% Hispanic, 28% non-Hispanic Black, and 87% insured by Medicaid. Those at TIPP sites had significant reduction in the adjusted odds of reported injuries compared with non-TIPP sites throughout the follow-up (P = .005), with adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) of 0.77 (0.66-0.91), 0.60 (0.44-0.82), 0.32 (0.16-0.62), 0.26 (0.12-0.53), and 0.27 (0.14-0.52) at 4, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this cluster-randomized trial with predominantly low-income, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Black families, TIPP resulted in a significant reduction in parent-reported injuries. Our study provides evidence for implementing the American Academy of Pediatrics' TIPP in routine well-child care.

Developmental Milestone Attainment in US Children Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Importance: Restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the lives of young children, but the association between the pandemic and any changes in early childhood developmental milestone achievement in the US remains unclear. Objectives: To determine the association between the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in developmental screening scores among US children aged 0 to 5 years and to investigate whether caregivers self-reported more worries about their children or concerns about children's behavior during the pandemic, regardless of milestone achievement. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a cohort study using an interrupted time series analysis comparing prepandemic (March 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020), interruption (March 1 to May 31, 2020), and intrapandemic (June 1, 2020, to May 30, 2022) periods among 50 205 children (randomly sampled from a population of 502 052 children) aged 0 to 5 years whose parents or caregivers completed developmental screening at pediatric visits at US pediatric primary care practices participating in a web-based clinical process support system. Exposure: COVID-19 pandemic period. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age-standardized Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition (ASQ) domain scores (communication, personal-social, problem-solving, gross motor, fine motor), and rate of caregivers' concerns about the child's behavior or worries about the child as measured on the ASQ. Results: A total of 50 205 children (25 852 [51.5%] male; mean [SD] age, 18.6 [16.0] months) and 134 342 ASQ observations were included. In adjusted models, significant age-specific mean score decreases from prepandemic to intrapandemic were observed in communication (-0.029; 95% CI, -0.041 to -0.017), problem-solving (-0.018; 95% CI, -0.030 to -0.006), and personal-social (-0.016; 95% CI, -0.028 to -0.004) domains. There were no changes in fine or gross motor domains prepandemic to intrapandemic. For infants aged 0 to 12 months, similar effect sizes were observed but only for communication (-0.027; 95% CI, -0.044 to -0.011) and problem-solving (-0.018; 95% CI, -0.035 to -0.001). After accounting for age-standardized ASQ scores, caregiver worries about the child increased slightly in the intrapandemic period compared with the prepandemic period (rate ratio, 1.088; 95% CI, 1.036-1.143), but there were no changes in caregiver concerns about the child's behavior. While changes in developmental screening scores were modest (2%-3%), nationwide, this could translate to more than 1500 additional recommended developmental referrals over baseline each month. Conclusions and Relevance: Modest changes in developmental screening scores are reassuring in the short term but may tax an already overburdened developmental behavioral pediatrics infrastructure. Continued attention to developmental surveillance is critical since the long-term population- and individual-level implications of these changes are unclear.

Language Disparities in Caregiver Satisfaction with Physician Communication at Well Visits from 0-2 Years.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe caregiver satisfaction with physician communication over the first two years of life and examine differences by preferred language and the relationship to physician continuity. METHODS: Longitudinal data were collected at well visits (2 months to 2 years) from participants in a randomized controlled trial to prevent childhood obesity. Satisfaction with communication was assessed using the validated Communication Assessment Tool (CAT) questionnaire. Changes in the odds of optimal scores were estimated in mixed-effects logistic regression models to evaluate the associations between satisfaction over time and language, interpreter use, and physician continuity. RESULTS: Of 865 caregivers, 35% were Spanish-speaking. Spanish-speaking caregivers without interpreters had lower odds of an optimal satisfaction score compared with English speakers during the first 2 years, beginning at 2 months [OR 0.64 (95% CI: 0.43, 0.95)]. There was no significant difference in satisfaction between English-speaking caregivers and Spanish-speaking caregivers with an interpreter. The odds of optimal satisfaction scores increased over time for both language groups. For both language groups, odds of an optimal satisfaction score decreased each time a new physician was seen for a visit [OR 0.82 (95% CI: 0.69, 0.97)]. CONCLUSION: Caregiver satisfaction with physician communication improves over the first two years of well-child visits for both English- and Spanish-speakers. A loss of physician continuity over time was also associated with lower satisfaction. Future interventions to ameliorate communication disparities should ensure adequate interpreter use for primarily Spanish-speaking patients and address continuity issues to improve communication satisfaction.

Positive Outliers: A Mixed Methods Study of Resiliency to Childhood Obesity in High-Risk Neighborhoods.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the high prevalence of obesity and the clustering of risk by neighborhood, few studies have examined characteristics which promote healthy child weight in neighborhoods with high obesity risk. We aimed to identify protective factors for children living in neighborhoods with high obesity risk. METHODS: We identified neighborhoods with high obesity risk using geolocated electronic health record data with measured body mass index (BMI) from well-child visits (2012-2017). We then recruited caregivers with children aged 5 to 13 years who lived in census tracts with mean child BMI percentile ≥72 (February 2020-August 2021). We used sequential mixed methods (quantitative surveys, qualitative interviews) to compare individual, interpersonal, and perceived neighborhood factors among families with children at a healthy weight (positive outliers [PO]) versus families with ≥1 child with overweight or obesity (controls). Regression models and comparative qualitative analysis were used to identify protective characteristics. RESULTS: Seventy-three caregivers participated in the quantitative phase (41% PO; 34% preferred Spanish) and twenty in the qualitative phase (50% PO; 50% preferred Spanish). The frequency of healthy caregiver behaviors was associated with being a PO (Family Health Behavior Scale Parent Score adjusted ß 3.67; 95% CI 0.52-6.81 and qualitative data). Protective factors also included caregivers' ability to minimize the negative health influences of family members and adhere to family routines. CONCLUSIONS: There were few differences between PO and control families. Support for caregiver healthy habits and adherence to healthy family routines emerged as opportunities for childhood obesity prevention in neighborhoods with high obesity risk.

Pediatric Medical Subspecialist Use in Outpatient Settings.

Importance: A first step toward understanding whether pediatric medical subspecialists are meeting the needs of the nation's children is describing rates of use and trends over time. Objectives: To quantify rates of outpatient pediatric medical subspecialty use. Design, Setting, and Participants: This repeated cross-sectional study of annual subspecialist use examined 3 complementary data sources: electronic health records from PEDSnet (8 large academic medical centers [January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2021]); administrative data from the Healthcare Integrated Research Database (HIRD) (14 commercial health plans [January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2021]); and administrative data from the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) (44 state Medicaid programs [January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2019]). Annual denominators included 493 628 to 858 551 patients younger than 21 years with a general pediatric visit in PEDSnet; 5 million beneficiaries younger than 21 years enrolled for at least 6 months in HIRD; and 35 million Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program beneficiaries younger than 19 years enrolled for any amount of time in T-MSIS. Exposure: Calendar year and type of medical subspecialty. Main Outcomes and Measures: Annual number of children with at least 1 completed visit to any pediatric medical subspecialist in an outpatient setting per population. Use rates excluded visits in emergency department or inpatient settings. Results: Among the study population, the proportion of girls was 51.0% for PEDSnet, 51.1% for HIRD, and 49.3% for T-MSIS; the proportion of boys was 49.0% for PEDSnet, 48.9% for HIRD, and 50.7% for T-MSIS. The proportion of visits among children younger than 5 years was 37.4% for PEDSnet, 20.9% for HIRD, and 26.2% for T-MSIS; most patients were non-Hispanic Black (29.7% for PEDSnet and 26.1% for T-MSIS) or non-Hispanic White (44.9% for PEDSnet and 43.2% for T-MSIS). Annual rates for PEDSnet ranged from 18.0% to 21.3%, which were higher than rates for HIRD (range, 7.9%-10.4%) and T-MSIS (range, 7.6%-8.6%). Subspecialist use increased in the HIRD commercial health plans (annual relative increase of 2.4% [95% CI, 1.6%-3.1%]), but rates were essentially flat in the other data sources (PEDSnet, -0.2% [95% CI, -1.1% to 0.7%]; T-MSIS, -0.7% [95% CI, -6.5% to 5.5%]). The flat PEDSnet growth reflects a balance between annual use increases among those with commercial insurance (1.2% [95% CI, 0.3%-2.1%]) and decreases in use among those with Medicaid (-0.9% [95% CI, -1.6% to -0.2%]). Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cross-sectional study suggest that among children, 8.6% of Medicaid beneficiaries, 10.4% of those with commercial insurance, and 21.3% of those whose primary care is received in academic health systems use pediatric medical subspecialty care each year. There was a small increase in rates of subspecialty use among children with commercial but not Medicaid insurance. These data may help launch innovations in the primary-specialty care interface.

Feeding, television, and sleep behaviors at one year of age in a diverse sample.

Background: Healthy lifestyle behaviors that can prevent adverse health outcomes, including obesity, are formed in early childhood. This study describes feeding, television, and sleep behaviors among one-year-old infants and examines differences by sociodemographic factors. Methods: Caregivers of one-year-olds presenting for well care at two clinics, control sites for the Greenlight Study, were queried about feeding, television time, and sleep. Adjusted associations between sociodemographic factors and behaviors were performed by modified Poisson (binary), multinomial logistic (multi-category), or linear (continuous) regression models. Results: Of 235 one-year-olds enrolled, 81% had Medicaid, and 45% were Hispanic, 36% non-Hispanic Black, 19% non-Hispanic White. Common behaviors included 20% exclusive bottle use, 32% put to bed with bottle, mean daily juice intake of 4.1 ± 4.6 ounces, and active television time 45 ± 73 min. In adjusted analyses compared to Hispanic caregivers, non-Hispanic Black caregivers were less likely to report exclusive bottle use (odds ratio: 0.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03-0.39), reported 2.4 ounces more juice (95% CI 1.0-3.9), 124 min more passive television time (95% CI 60-188), and 37 min more active television time (95% CI 10-64). Increased caregiver education and higher income were associated with 0.4 (95% CI 0.13-0.66) and 0.3 (95% CI 0.06-0.55) more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, respectively. Conclusion: In a diverse sample of one-year-olds, caregivers reported few protective behaviors that reduce the risk for adverse health outcomes including obesity. Differences in behavior by race/ethnicity, income, and education can inform future interventions and policies. Future interventions should strive to create culturally effective messaging to address common adverse health behaviors.

TV Time, Especially During Meals, is Associated with Less Healthy Dietary Practices in Toddlers.

BACKGROUND: While several studies examine the relationship between screen time and dietary practices in children and teenagers, there is limited research in toddlers. This study evaluates the association between television (TV) exposure and dietary practices in two-year-old children. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis from the Greenlight Intervention Study. Toddlers' daily TV watching time, mealtime TV, and dietary practices were assessed by caregiver report at the 24-month well child visit. Separate regression models were used and adjusted for sociodemographic/household characteristics and clinic site. RESULTS: 532 toddlers were included (51% Latino; 30% non-Latino Black; 59% ≤$20,000 annual household income). Median daily TV watching time was 42 minutes [IQR: 25, 60]; 25% reported the TV was "usually on" during mealtimes. After adjustment, toddlers who watched more TV daily had higher odds of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), fast food, and more junk food; those watching less TV had higher odds of consuming more fruits/vegetables. Those with the TV "usually on" during mealtimes were more likely to consume SSB [aOR 3.72 (95%CI 2.16-6.43)], fast food [aOR 2.83 (95%CI 1.54-5.20)], and more junk food [aOR 4.25 (95%CI 2.71-6.65)]. CONCLUSIONS: Among toddlers from primarily minoritized populations and of lower socioeconomic status, those who watched more TV daily and usually had the TV on during meals had significantly less healthy dietary practices, even after adjusting for known covariates. This study supports the current American Academy of Pediatrics screen time guidelines and underscores the importance of early counseling on general and mealtime TV.

Prenatal Risks to Healthy Food Access and High Birthweight Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Infants with high birthweight have increased risk for adverse outcomes at birth and across childhood. Prenatal risks to healthy food access may increase odds of high birthweight. We tested whether having a poor neighborhood food environment and/or food insecurity had associations with high birthweight. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional baseline data in Greenlight Plus, an obesity prevention trial across six US cities (n = 787), which included newborns with a gestational age greater than 34 weeks and a birthweight greater than 2500 g. We assessed neighborhood food environment using the Place-Based Survey and food insecurity using the US Household Food Security Module. We performed logistic regression analyses to assess the individual and additive effects of risk factors on high birthweight. We adjusted for potential confounders: infant sex, race, ethnicity, gestational age, birthing parent age, education, income, and study site. RESULTS: Thirty-four percent of birthing parents reported poor neighborhood food environment and/or food insecurity. Compared to those without food insecurity, food insecure families had greater odds of delivering an infant with high birthweight (adjusted odds ratios [aOR] 1.96, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.01, 3.82) after adjusting for poor neighborhood food environment, which was not associated with high birthweight (aOR 1.35, 95% CI: 0.78, 2.34). Each additional risk to healthy food access was associated with a 56% (95% CI: 4%-132%) increase in high birthweight odds. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal risks to healthy food access may increase high infant birthweight odds. Future studies designed to measure neighborhood factors should examine infant birthweight outcomes in the context of prenatal social determinants of health.

Addressing Health Literacy in Pediatric Practice: A Health Equity Lens.

Low health literacy has been linked to worse child health-related knowledge, behaviors, and outcomes across multiple health domains. As low health literacy is highly prevalent and an important mediator of income- and race/ethnicity-associated disparities, provider adoption of health literacy best practices advances health equity. A multidisciplinary effort involving all providers engaged in communication with families should include a universal precautions approach, with clear communication strategies employed with all patients, and advocacy for health system change.

The Role of Primary Care in Advancing Civic Engagement and Health Equity: A Conceptual Framework.

Policy Points Health and civic engagement are reciprocally and longitudinally linked: Poor health is associated with less civic engagement. Well-established social drivers of health and health inequality such as inadequate access to health care, poverty, racism, housing instability, and food insecurity are also drivers of lower civic engagement. A robust primary care system can play a key role in advancing civic engagement (e.g., voting, volunteerism, community service, and political involvement) at the population level but has received little attention. Policy and practice solutions at the individual and structural levels should support and leverage potential synergies among health equity, civic engagement, and primary care. CONTEXT: Health and civic engagement are linked. Healthier people may be able to participate more fully in civic life, although those with poorer health may be motivated to address the roots of their health challenges using collective action. In turn, civically active people may experience better health, and societies with more equitable health and health care may experience healthier civic life. Importantly, a robust primary care system is linked to greater health equity. However, the role of primary care in advancing civic engagement has received little study. METHODS: We synthesize current literature on the links among health, civic engagement, and primary care. We propose a conceptual framework to advance research and policy on the role of primary care in supporting civic engagement as a means for individuals to actualize their health and civic futures. FINDINGS: Current literature supports relationships between health equity and civic engagement. However, this literature is primarily cross-sectional and confined to voting. Our integrative conceptual framework highlights the interconnectedness of primary care structures, health equity, and civic engagement and supports the crucial role of primary care in advancing both civic and health outcomes. Primary care is a potentially fruitful setting for cultivating community and individual health and power by supporting social connectedness, self-efficacy, and collective action. CONCLUSIONS: Health and civic engagement are mutually reinforcing. Commonalities between social determinants of health and civic engagement constitute an important convergence for policy, practice, and research. Responsibility for promoting both health and civic engagement is shared by providers, community organizations, educators, and policymakers, as well as democratic and health systems, yet these entities rarely work in concert. Future work can inform policy and practice to bolster primary care as a means for promoting health and civic engagement.

Early Sweet Tooth: Juice Introduction During Early Infancy is Related to Toddler Juice Intake.

OBJECTIVE: To assess if 100% fruit juice intake prior to 6 months is associated with juice and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake at 24 months and whether this differs by sociodemographic factors. METHODS: We used longitudinal data from infants enrolled in the control (no obesity intervention) arm of Greenlight, a cluster randomized trial to prevent childhood obesity which included parent-reported child 100% fruit juice intake at all well child checks between 2 and 24 months. We studied the relationship between the age of juice introduction (before vs after 6 months) and juice and SSB intake at 24 months using negative binomial regression while controlling for baseline sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: We report results for 187 participants (43% Hispanic, 39% non-Hispanic Black), more than half (54%) of whom had reported 100% fruit juice intake before 6 months. Average 100% fruit juice intake at 24 months was greater than the recommended amount (of 4 oz) and was 8.2 oz and 5.3 oz for those who had and had not, respectively, been introduced to juice before 6 months. In adjusted models, early introduction of juice was associated with a 43% (95% confidence interval: 5%-96%) increase in juice intake at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: 100% fruit juice intake exceeding recommended levels at 6 and 24 months in this diverse cohort was prevalent. Introducing 100% fruit juice prior to 6 months may put children at greater risk for more juice intake as they age. Further research is necessary to determine if early guidance can reduce juice intake.

Enhancing early autism prediction based on electronic records using clinical narratives.

Recent work has shown that predictive models can be applied to structured electronic health record (EHR) data to stratify autism likelihood from an early age (<1 year). Integrating clinical narratives (or notes) with structured data has been shown to improve prediction performance in other clinical applications, but the added predictive value of this information in early autism prediction has not yet been explored. In this study, we aimed to enhance the performance of early autism prediction by using both structured EHR data and clinical narratives. We built models based on structured data and clinical narratives separately, and then an ensemble model that integrated both sources of data. We assessed the predictive value of these models from Duke University Health System over a 14-year span to evaluate ensemble models predicting later autism diagnosis (by age 4 years) from data collected from ages 30 to 360 days. Our sample included 11,750 children above by age 3 years (385 meeting autism diagnostic criteria). The ensemble model for autism prediction showed superior performance and at age 30 days achieved 46.8% sensitivity (95% confidence interval, CI: 22.0%, 52.9%), 28.0% positive predictive value (PPV) at high (90%) specificity (CI: 2.0%, 33.1%), and AUC4 (with at least 4-year follow-up for controls) reaching 0.769 (CI: 0.715, 0.811). Prediction by 360 days achieved 44.5% sensitivity (CI: 23.6%, 62.9%), and 13.7% PPV at high (90%) specificity (CI: 9.6%, 18.9%), and AUC4 reaching 0.797 (CI: 0.746, 0.840). Results show that incorporating clinical narratives in early autism prediction achieved promising accuracy by age 30 days, outperforming models based on structured data only. Furthermore, findings suggest that additional features learned from clinician narratives might be hypothesis generating for understanding early development in autism.

Organizational trust, usability, and inclusivity are key implementation facilitators for a proposed assets-based mobile health intervention.

Assets-based interventions can address child health disparities by connecting families to existing community resources. Community collaboration when designing interventions may identify barriers and facilitators to implementation. The objective of this study was to identify crucial implementation considerations during the design phase of an asset-based intervention to address disparities in childhood obesity, Assets for Health. We conducted focus groups and semi-structured interviews with caregivers of children (<18 years) (N = 17) and representatives of community-based organizations (CBOs) which serve children and families (N = 20). Focus group and interview guides were developed based on constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Data were analyzed using rapid qualitative analysis and matrices were used to identify common themes within and across groups of community members. Desired intervention characteristics included an easy-to-use list of community programs that could be filtered based on caregiver preferences and local community health workers to promote trust and engagement among Black and Hispanic/Latino families. Most community members felt an intervention with these characteristics could be advantageous versus existing alternatives. Key outer setting characteristics which were barriers to family engagement included families' financial insecurity and lack of access to transportation. The CBO implementation climate was supportive but there was concern that the intervention could increase staff workload beyond current capacity. Assessment of implementation determinants during the intervention design phase revealed important considerations for intervention development. Effective implementation of Assets for Health may depend on app design and usability, fostering organizational trust and minimizing the costs and staff workload of caregivers and CBOs, respectively.

The purpose of our work was to design a program to connect families with children to existing health-promoting resources in their communities (i.e., group exercise, food pantries, community gardens). We specifically wanted to capture the needs and preferences of parents with children and community-based organizations and determine the possible barriers to creating this program. Based on prior community listening sessions, the program, called Assets for Health, would consist of a mobile app which lists community resources and a community health worker to help connect families to these resources. We presented the idea for Assets for Health to a diverse group of parents and community-based organizations using focus groups and interviews to carefully capture their thoughts. We then analyzed what was said. This work showed that parents were struggling to find community programs that fit their needs and thought a program like Assets for Health could be helpful. Also organizations were struggling to show families that they could be trusted and that all families were welcome.

Timing and Magnitude of Peak Body Mass Index and Peak Weight Velocity in Infancy Predict Body Mass Index at 2 Years in a Retrospective Cohort of Electronic Health Record Data.

OBJECTIVES: To use growth data from electronic health records to describe and model infant growth (weight velocity and peak body mass index [pBMI]) characteristics. STUDY DESIGN: We extracted data from all children born at ≥34 weeks of gestation within one health system between 2014 and 2017. After excluding implausible growth data with an algorithm created for childhood growth, we estimated pBMI, peak weight and length velocities, and the odds of obesity at 2 years, adjusted for race, sex, ethnicity, and birth weight, by the magnitude of peak weight velocity, peak length velocity, and pBMI. RESULTS: Among 6425 children (41% White, 28% Black, 26% other race; 16% Hispanic ethnicity), mean pBMI was 17.9 kg/m2 (SD 1.5) and mean age at pBMI was 9.6 months (SD 2.7). Mean peak weight velocity was 949 g (SD 165) per 2 weeks, and the mean peak length velocity was 3.4 cm (SD 0.3) per 2 weeks. Children with obesity at 2 years (n = 931, 14.5%) were more likely to be Hispanic, had greater peak weight and peak length velocities, and had 2 kg/m2 greater magnitude of pBMI than children without obesity. For each unit increase in pBMI, children had more than 4 times greater odds of obesity at age 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: In a large sample of infants with clinical growth data tracked via electronic health records, we found associations between the magnitude and timing of peak infant BMI and obesity at 2 years of age.

Predictive Value of Early Autism Detection Models Based on Electronic Health Record Data Collected Before Age 1 Year.

Importance: Autism detection early in childhood is critical to ensure that autistic children and their families have access to early behavioral support. Early correlates of autism documented in electronic health records (EHRs) during routine care could allow passive, predictive model-based monitoring to improve the accuracy of early detection. Objective: To quantify the predictive value of early autism detection models based on EHR data collected before age 1 year. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective diagnostic study used EHR data from children seen within the Duke University Health System before age 30 days between January 2006 and December 2020. These data were used to train and evaluate L2-regularized Cox proportional hazards models predicting later autism diagnosis based on data collected from birth up to the time of prediction (ages 30-360 days). Statistical analyses were performed between August 1, 2020, and April 1, 2022. Main Outcomes and Measures: Prediction performance was quantified in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) at clinically relevant model operating thresholds. Results: Data from 45 080 children, including 924 (1.5%) meeting autism criteria, were included in this study. Model-based autism detection at age 30 days achieved 45.5% sensitivity and 23.0% PPV at 90.0% specificity. Detection by age 360 days achieved 59.8% sensitivity and 17.6% PPV at 81.5% specificity and 38.8% sensitivity and 31.0% PPV at 94.3% specificity. Conclusions and Relevance: In this diagnostic study of an autism screening test, EHR-based autism detection achieved clinically meaningful accuracy by age 30 days, improving by age 1 year. This automated approach could be integrated with caregiver surveys to improve the accuracy of early autism screening.

Parental Perspectives on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Infant, Child, and Adolescent Development.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to understand how families from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds perceived the impact of the pandemic on the development of their children. METHODS: We used a multimethod approach guided by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, which identifies 5 developmental systems (micro, meso, exo, macro, and chrono). Semistructured interviews were conducted in English or Spanish with parents living in 5 geographic regions of the United States between July and September 2021. Participants also completed the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Survey. RESULTS: Forty-eight families participated, half of whose preferred language was Spanish, with a total of 99 children ages newborn to 19 years. Most qualitative themes pertained to developmental effects of the microsystem and macrosystem. Although many families described negative effects of the pandemic on development, others described positive or no perceived effects. Some families reported inadequate government support in response to the pandemic as causes of stress and potential negative influences on child development. As context for their infant's development, families reported a variety of economic hardships on the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Survey, such as having to move out of their homes and experiencing decreased income. CONCLUSION: In addition to negative impacts, many parents perceived positive pandemic-attributed effects on their child's development, mainly from increased time for parent-child interaction. Families described economic hardships that were exacerbated by the pandemic and that potentially affect child development and insufficient government responses to these hardships. These findings hold important lessons for leaders who wish to design innovative solutions that address inequities in maternal, family, and child health.

An Update on State Legislation Supporting Menstrual Hygiene Products in US Schools: A Legislative Review, Policy Report, and Recommendations for School Nurse Leadership.

Access to menstrual products is important to support adolescent health. Advocacy to increase access to menstrual products in schools is growing; however, ideal access requires policies that will require schools to support the menstrual health of menstruating students. We conducted a legislative review on the existence and status of state legislation related to the provision of menstrual products in US schools and categorized by state's political control (political party affiliation of governors and state legislature). Of 50 states and 6 territories, 21 had legislation to support menstrual products in schools, 7 had bills pending, 10 had bills failed, and 18 states had no policies introduced in the state legislature. States with Democrat control have significantly more menstrual product state laws compared to states with Republican control [z = 2.54, p = 0.01]. There is a need, especially in Republican states, to accelerate efforts to pass laws that will support menstrual product access in schools.

Exploring the Feasibility and Acceptability of Providing Caregivers Who Formula-feed with Smaller Infant Bottles in a Primary Care Clinic.

OBJECTIVES: Larger bottle size is associated with faster weight gain in infants, but little is known about acceptability and feasibility of providing bottles in primary care clinics. METHODS: We randomized parent-infant dyads (N = 40) to receive a set of 4-ounce bottles or to continue using their own bottles. Demographic and anthropometric information were collected at enrollment and one follow-up visit 1-5 months later. The primary aim was to assess feasibility and acceptability of the intervention strategy. We compared components of bottle feeding, including usual bottle sizes used, number and volume of feeds with Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, and changes in weight-for-age and weight-for-length z-scores during the study period with t-tests, using p < 0.05 as an indicator of statistical significance. RESULTS: Of participants randomized to receive bottles, 90% were using the 4oz bottles at follow up. The intervention group reported a significantly lower median bottle size (4oz) than the control group (8oz) at follow up, and parents reported acceptability and continued use of the bottles. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: An intervention to provide smaller bottles was feasible, mostly acceptable, resulted in lower median bottle size. Further research is needed to determine whether it represents a novel way to prevent rapid infant weight gain.