Baseline fruit and vegetable intake among adults in seven 5 a day study centers located in diverse geographic areas.

OBJECTIVE: To examine baseline rates of fruit and vegetable consumption among adults in the 5 A Day research trials in order to identify any regional and sociodemographic differences associated with daily servings. DESIGN: The main outcome measure was the frequency of fruits and vegetables consumed within 1 month of the baseline survey as assessed by a 7-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). SUBJECTS/SETTING: Participants (N = 15,060) were from 7 study centers. Study centers included schools (N = 48), worksites (N = 60), churches (N = 50), or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics (N = 15) in interventions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Means and standard errors, adjusting for clusters, were calculated. A mixed linear model analyzed relationships between fruit and vegetable consumption and regional center, gender, age, race, education, income, marital status, food-shopping responsibility, and whether one lives with children. RESULTS: Results indicate an overall mean intake of 3.6 daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Significant differences in mean daily servings were found among the regional study centers (low of 3.0 to high of 4.1). There were significant differences in mean daily consumption by age (< 30 years = 3.7 servings per day; 30 to 49 years = 3.4; > or = 50 years = 3.7), education (> high school = 3.4 servings per day; high school graduate = 3.4; some college = 3.5; college graduate = 3.9), race (black = 3.7 servings per day; Hispanic = 3.0; white = 3.6; other = 3.7), marital status (married = 3.6 servings per day; single = 3.5), and food-shopping responsibilities (little = 3.2 servings per day; about half = 3.6; most = 3.8). Only 17% of respondents ate 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. CONCLUSIONS: The 7 regions showed significant variability in daily fruit and vegetable consumption, suggesting that a single national message to increase fruit and vegetable consumption may not reach the population segments most in need of changing. It is advisable to spend more time understanding the food consumption habits of the population under investigation to develop messages to foster behavior change.

Worksite characteristics and changes in worksite tobacco-control initiatives. Results from the COMMIT study.

Few studies have prospectively examined the characteristics associated with worksite adoption of tobacco-control initiatives. Data were collected as part of the Community Intervention Trial (COMMIT) for Smoking Cessation, which conducted interventions in 11 communities. This smoking cessation intervention was based on community organization principles and delivered through multiple community channels, including worksites, health care providers, the media, and cessation resources. This article reports results from telephone interviews of intervention community worksites having 50 or more employees, conducted at baseline and the end of the intervention period. Among worksites that responded to both baseline and final surveys, 83% had not adopted a smoke-free policy at baseline, and 61% did not offer any cessation aid or quitting resources at baseline. By the final survey, 34% of those with no smoking ban at baseline had become smoke-free, and 36% of those offering no cessation assistance at baseline were offering cessation resources at the follow-up. The prevalence of policy adoption was higher among worksites employing more female employees and offering other health-promotion activities; manufacturing businesses were significantly less likely than businesses other than service and wholesale/retail businesses to adopt policies. Adoption of cessation programs was significantly more likely among worksites employing 100 to 249 workers, compared with those employing 50 to 99 workers; those predominantly employing men; those offering other types of health-promotion activities; and those with a higher rate of turnover. These results provide important information about the characteristics of worksites likely to engage in tobacco-control efforts. Health educators and others may choose to target those worksites most ready for adoption of tobacco control policies and programs, as indicated by these findings.

Compliance with worksite nonsmoking policies: baseline results from the COMMIT study of worksites.

PURPOSE: Little is known about compliance with worksite nonsmoking policies. This study provides an examination of the relationship of policy compliance to characteristics of the organization and the manner in which the policy was implemented. DESIGN: Data came from two separate surveys of 1) representatives of worksites that reported having a nonsmoking policy and 2) employed residents from the same communities whose worksites had nonsmoking policies. SETTING: This study was conducted as part of the Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation (COMMIT), being conducted in 11 diverse intervention communities. SUBJECTS: Data are presented from surveys of 710 worksites (response rate = 90%) and 3,143 employed residents (response rate = 80%) of the same communities. MEASURES: Compliance with nonsmoking policies was measured by self-report in both surveys and is compared with worksite and respondent characteristics, type of policy, and methods of policy implementation. RESULTS: Compliance with nonsmoking policies was high; 55% of worksites with a policy restricting smoking reported that employees always adhered to the policy. Compliance was highest in worksites with more restrictive policies and where labor-management relations were reported to be good. Compliance also was high where the policy was effectively communicated to workers, as through worksite distribution channels, the absence of cigarette vending machines, and the availability of cessation assistance. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that compliance with worksite nonsmoking policies is generally high, especially in the presence of more stringent policies.

Stages of change for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among adults and young adults participating in the national 5-a-Day for Better Health community studies.

Higher fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of certain cancers and chronic diseases. The 5-a-Day for Better Health community studies are evaluating population-based strategies to achieving dietary behavior change using the stages-of-change model and associated theories. The authors present baseline comparisons of stages of change for fruit and vegetable consumption among adults and young adults in eight study sites representing diverse regions of the United States and diverse populations and settings. Three dominant stages, precontemplation, preparation, and maintenance, were found across sites. Women and those with college degrees were more likely to be in action/maintenance. Fruit and vegetable consumption, self-efficacy, and knowledge of the 5-a-Day recommendation were positively associated with more advanced stages of change in all study sites. The authors discuss the findings in relation to possible limitations of this and other dietary stages-of-change measures and suggest directions for future research.

Children's compliance to dialysis.

Relationships among physiologic measures of compliance to dialysis therapy and selected parent and child variables were investigated. Child's age and length of time receiving dialysis related significantly to compliance.

Postpartum depression: bipolar or unipolar? Analysis of 434 Polish postpartum women

Objective: To assess the prevalence of soft bipolar features in a sample of women with postpartum depressive symptoms, as well as to compare the sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics of subjects with bipolar or unipolar postpartum depressive symptomatology. Methods: Four hundred and thirty-four participants were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Postpartum depression (PPD) symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), while the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) was used to screen for bipolarity features. Results: Of the 434 participants, 66 (15.2%) scored ≥ 13 points on the EPDS, thus fulfilling the screening criteria, and 103 scored ≥ 7 points on the MDQ. In comparison with non-depressed subjects, the women who scored positively on the EPDS were significantly more likely to exhibit symptoms of bipolar spectrum disorders (38 vs. 21%; chi-square test, p = 0.015). Women with bipolar PPD symptomatology were significantly younger than those exhibiting unipolar PPD symptoms (31.0±4.8 years vs. 28.5±4.1 years; t-test, p = 0.03). The groups did not differ in terms of obstetric characteristics. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that patients with PPD symptomatology may be more likely to exhibit soft bipolarity features as compared with non-depressed women.

Comparison of asynchronous versus synchronous arm crank ergometry.

STUDY DESIGN: A direct comparison of synchronous versus asynchronous arm crank ergometry has not been carried out previously. Therefore, a comparative research design was employed. OBJECTIVE: To assess the physiological responses of arm cranking when performed asynchronously (arms moving opposite to each other) versus synchronously (both arms moving in the same direction simultaneously). SETTING: A university hospital setting in Galveston, Texas, USA. METHODS: Seventeen individuals between the ages of 19 and 53 years were studied, 11 with paraplegia and six with no apparent disability. Two maximal arm crank graded exercise tests were performed with the subject seated in a wheelchair. Testing consisted of both arms (1) asynchronously (reciprocally) pushing and pulling the crank handles and (2) pushing and pulling the crank handles synchronously. Each test consisted of 2 min stages starting at 20 W and increasing 10 W per stage thereafter until exhaustion. Heart rate, oxygen consumption, and minute ventilation were measured and recorded during each stage. Blood lactate levels were monitored before and after each test. Statistical analysis was performed using the multivariate Hotelling's T2 followed by post hoc univariate tests. RESULTS: Greater power and longer test times (both groups, P<0.05) and higher post test blood lactates (nondisabled P<0.01, paraplegic P<0.05) were achieved with asynchronous cranking versus synchronous cranking. While submaximal responses were similar between the two modes of cranking, there was a tendency for all variables to be lower with asynchronous. All subjects preferred asynchronous rather than synchronous cranking. CONCLUSION: Despite few statistically significant differences, based on the subjective reports from all subjects, we believe there is a clinically significant difference between the two modes of cranking. The results suggest that the mode of cranking may have implications for arm crank testing, training, and functional locomotion in individuals with lower extremity impairments.

Warts in a pediatric renal transplant population.

18 of 49 pediatric renal transplant recipients, all of whom were on continual steroid and immunosuppressive treatment, were found to have warts. Although all 18 patients received treatment for this problem, only 5 had the warts successfully eradicated. The frequency of warts among transplant patients is three times that of the general childhood population and twice that of a group of nephrotic pediatric patients who received immunosuppressive therapy. We propose that drug-induced suppression of cell-mediated, and to a lesser extent, humoral immunity, may predispose people to develop warts.

Omeprazole therapy and salivary flow rate in duodenal ulcer patients.

BACKGROUND: Previous reports have shown that in some reflux-oesophagitis patients omeprazole therapy alters salivary secretion. The aim of the study was to examine this effect in duodenal ulcer patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty nine Helicobacter pylori positive subjects of both sexes, predominantly men, were recruited for the study. They were taking for two weeks only omeprazole (n = 17), or omeprazole in combination with either amoxycillin or amoxycillin and tinidazole (n = 22). Salivary secretion was assessed before and at the end of the treatment, both in basal conditions and during a gastric secretory test. Gastric secretion was monitored concurrently with salivary flow rate. Additionally gastritis score and serum gastrin levels were assessed. RESULTS: Basal salivary secretions remained unchanged in patients on omeprazole monotherapy, but decreased in five of eight saliva collection periods in patients on eradication regimens. During the gastric secretory test, salivary secretions fell in both groups, but only after pentagastrin stimulation (in one collection period in patients on omeprazole, and in three collection periods in patients on eradication therapy). The observed changes in salivary secretion were inversely related to the pre-treatment gastric pH values. CONCLUSION: The influence of omeprazole and omeprazole-based eradication therapies on salivary flow rate is presumably secondary to changes in gastric pH values and is likely to be related to oesophago-salivary reflex generation.