Understanding maternal dietary choices during pregnancy: The role of social norms and mindful eating.

INTRODUCTION: Serious health complications associated with excessive weight have been documented for pregnant women and their babies during pregnancy, birth and beyond. Whilst research has focused on identifying particular foods that can be either detrimental or essential for the developing baby, pregnant women's food choices are likely determined by broader considerations. This study examined social influences as represented in reports of descriptive and injunctive social norms related to healthy eating during pregnancy, and individual differences in mindfulness while eating, as important potential correlates of pregnant women's self-reported diet. METHODS: Pregnant women (N = 139) completed a questionnaire that measured self-reported consumption of healthy and unhealthy foods, descriptive and injunctive norms related to healthy eating during pregnancy and the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ). Hierarchical multiple regressions were conducted to assess the extent to which norms and mindful eating accounted for variance in consumption of both foods. RESULTS: No significant associations were observed between perceived social norms related to diet during pregnancy and self-reported dietary behaviour. Mindful eating was found to play a role in pregnant women's eating behaviour, with the awareness subscale of the MEQ significantly associated with healthy eating and the emotional subscale associated with unhealthy eating. Age was also associated with consumption of unhealthy foods; younger pregnant women reported consuming more unhealthy snacks and fast food meals. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between mindful eating and dietary behaviour suggests that improving mindfulness related to food consumption before and during pregnancy may provide a strategy to address excessive gestational weight gain.

BLyS: member of the tumor necrosis factor family and B lymphocyte stimulator.

The tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily of cytokines includes both soluble and membrane-bound proteins that regulate immune responses. A member of the human TNF family, BLyS (B lymphocyte stimulator), was identified that induced B cell proliferation and immunoglobulin secretion. BLyS expression on human monocytes could be up-regulated by interferon-gamma. Soluble BLyS functioned as a potent B cell growth factor in costimulation assays. Administration of soluble recombinant BLyS to mice disrupted splenic B and T cell zones and resulted in elevated serum immunoglobulin concentrations. The B cell tropism of BLyS is consistent with its receptor expression on B-lineage cells. The biological profile of BLyS suggests it is involved in monocyte-driven B cell activation.

The patient representative role and sources of power.

Because the 1990 accreditation standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations call for the establishment of patient grievance procedures, this study examines the possibility of patient representatives serving in that capacity. Members of the National Society of Patient Representation and Consumer Affairs were surveyed to examine current roles of patient representatives--in particular, their handling of complaints, the types and sources of their power, the potential for conflict of interest as an institutionally employed advocate, and requirements for and barriers to successful job performance. The study reveals a great variation in the activity profiles of patient representatives. Additionally, it shows that the staff in place is professionally capable of moving in many directions and that departments have become the patient grievance mechanisms called for by the Joint Commission, depending on the hospital's management philosophy as reflected in allocation of authority and resources.