Correlates of availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables in homes of low-income Hispanic families.

Availability and accessibility (AA) has been consistently shown across studies as the most important correlate of fruits and vegetables (FV) intake. However, there is little data on factors that influence AA of FV, especially in Hispanic families. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between parental factors, child's preferences for FV and AA of FV in homes of low-income Hispanic families with children 5-12 years old. A convenience sample of 184 parents of low socioeconomic status recruited through public elementary schools completed a self-administered questionnaire about demographics, language spoken at home and food insecurity (FI). Parental factors and child's preferences were measured using a 16-item questionnaire, which was developed specifically for the study. AA of FV was measured using a validated nine-item index. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that language spoken at home, parental practices that promote consumption of FV, parental role modeling and perceived benefits of fast food had significant and independent associations with AA of FV at home. Intervention programs should take into consideration the language spoken at home and target at improving parental factors in order to improve AA of FV.

Medical homes for children with special health care needs: a program evaluation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a pilot project providing a medical home to children with special health care needs (CSHCN). This study differs from previous work in that it monitors a cohort of CSHCN one year prior to and two years after participation in a medical home intervention utilizing a quasi-experimental design. RESULTS: The groups being compared demonstrated descriptive differences in emergency room (ER) and preventive visits. Statistically significant differences in ER visits were achieved by the second intervention year. CONCLUSIONS: The current research demonstrates that a medical home can have demonstrable effect on utilization of preventive and emergency care by CSHCN. Limitations of the current research include small sample size and lack of information on acuity and quality of life.

Associations between depressed mood and clusters of health risk behaviors.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between depressed mood and clusters of health risk behaviors. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of adolescents (N=15,214) was utilized to construct 10 pseudocontinuous health risk behaviors. Cluster analysis was performed to group adolescents, and subsequent multivariable logistic models were created. RESULTS: Compared to non-risk takers, belonging to risk clusters significantly increased the odds of reporting depressed mood. African Americans in high-risk clusters appeared to be more vulnerable to depressed mood, when compared to remaining racial groups. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that adolescents engaging in multiple health-risk behaviors do so in the context of depressed mood.

Sociodemographic differences in depressed mood: results from a nationally representative sample of high school adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Research on adolescent mental health suggests that prevalence rates for depressed mood are not uniformly distributed across all populations. This study examined demographic difference in depressed mood among a nationally representative sample of high school adolescents. METHODS: The 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey was utilized to examine the association between depressed mood and demographic variables. To examine demographic associations, chi-square and follow-up logistic regression models were created for the sample of high school adolescents (N = 15,214). RESULTS: Caucasians and African Americans were significantly less likely to report depressed mood when compared to Hispanics and Others. Women were also more likely than men to report depressed mood. No significant differences were observed among levels of urbanicity and age. CONCLUSIONS: An understanding of the difference in the prevalence and correlates of depressed mood among adolescents of various ethnic/racial and gender groups deserves increased attention. Given the fact that challenges with depressed mood in adolescents can be substantial and relatively unrecognized, there is an increased need to identify these adolescents early and intervene with culturally appropriate interventions.

Ergonomic decision-making: a conceptual framework for experienced practitioners from backgrounds in industrial engineering and physical therapy.

Ergonomists play an important role in preventing and controlling work-related injuries and illnesses, yet little is known about the decision-making processes that lead to their recommendations. This study (1) generated a data-grounded conceptual framework, based on schema theory, for ergonomic decision-making by experienced practitioners in the USA and (2) assessed the adequacy of that framework for describing the decision-making of ergonomics practitioners from backgrounds in industrial engineering (IE) and physical therapy (PT). A combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses, within and across 54 decision-making situations derived from in-depth interviews with 21 practitioners, indicated that a single framework adequately describes the decision-making of experienced practitioners from these backgrounds. Results indicate that demands of the practitioner environment and practitioner factors such as personality more strongly influence the decision-making of experienced ergonomics practitioners than does practitioner background in IE or PT.

Age, pain, and coping with rheumatoid arthritis.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of age and pain severity (i.e. mild versus severe pain) in predicting coping strategies of individuals with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). An age-stratified sample (N = 121) of individuals diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis completed a modified version of the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ). Individuals were asked to report the coping strategies used for mild versus severe pain. Findings included: (1) older adults were more likely than younger adults to report use of maladaptive coping strategies in the context of mild, but not severe, RA pain, (2) older adults' reported patterns of coping reflected less-than-anticipated expertise in dealing with RA pain, and (3) individuals, regardless of age, reported use of more active coping strategies in the context of mild pain and use of more maladaptive coping strategies in the context of severe pain. The present study suggests that research regarding illness and coping is most informative when it captures the individual-situational interaction of dealing with stressors such as chronic pain.

Factors of fruit and vegetable intake by race, gender, and age among young adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To explore demographic differences in individual, social, and environmental factors potentially related to fruit and vegetable intake. DESIGN: Self-report questionnaires administered to a convenience sample of middle school students during regular classes. PARTICIPANTS: Black and white adolescents, 11 to 15 years of age (N = 736). VARIABLES MEASURED: Measures included self-efficacy, family dinner frequency, normative beliefs, outcome expectations, modeling, availability, preferences, snack choice, and demographics. ANALYSIS: Chi-square, general linear models, and Poisson and linear regressions as appropriate. RESULTS: Black participants reported greater social influences than did white participants, whereas white adolescents reported greater family environmental influences on fruit and vegetable intake. The oldest adolescents reported lower self-efficacy, peer modeling, family dinner frequency, and fruit and vegetable preferences compared with younger adolescents. White participants and females reported a higher preference for vegetables than did black participants and males. Regression models for self-efficacy and snack choice explained 41% and 34% of the variance, respectively. Preferences for vegetables and parental modeling were the strongest correlates of self-efficacy. Self-efficacy was the strongest correlate of snack choice. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Decreases in several factors with age highlight the importance of intervention for this age group. Future research is needed for a better understanding of the formation and modification of self-efficacy and snack choice.

Factors associated with physical activity literacy among foster parents.

OBJECTIVES: To explore associations between physical activity (PA) literacy and psychosocial constructs for providing instrumental social support for youth PA. METHODS: Ninety-one foster parents completed surveys assessing PA literacy (overall and specific), perceptions of child PA, coordination, PA enjoyment, psychosocial variables: positive/negative beliefs, normative beliefs, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and self-efficacy. RESULTS: Race, negative beliefs, PBC, and foster parent sport involvement were associated with specific PA literacy. Race and education were associated with overall PA literacy. CONCLUSIONS: Lower PA literacy is associated with greater negative beliefs and lower perceived control suggesting greater perceived barriers and lower perceived support for/among African Americans and those with less education.

Associations among food insecurity, acculturation, demographic factors, and fruit and vegetable intake at home in Hispanic children.

The purpose of this cross-sectional pilot study was to examine associations between food insecurity, acculturation, demographic factors, and children's fruit and vegetable intake among a sample of Hispanic children ages 5 to 12 years. A convenience sample of 184 parents of low socioeconomic status completed one-time, self-administered questionnaires assessing demographic information, acculturation, and food insecurity in the spring of 2006. In addition, children's fruit and vegetable intake at home was measured using a validated seven-item index. Parents were recruited through local elementary schools in San Antonio, TX. Pearson and Spearman correlations were used to examine the associations between the variables. t tests were used to explore the differences in means of children's fruit and vegetable intake at home for acculturation and food insecurity levels. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Significant correlations were found between demographic variables, acculturation, food insecurity, and children's fruit and vegetable intake at home. The overall mean fruit and vegetable intake at home was 1.04+/-0.63 (mean+/-standard deviation) servings per day. Higher rates of acculturation and higher rates of food insecurity were associated with lower fruit and vegetable intake at home. The findings reported in this study suggest a need for culturally tailored interventions targeting Hispanic children because fruit and vegetable intake at home among Hispanic children was low, regardless of the level of acculturation or food insecurity.

Social support reduces the impact of partner violence on health: application of structural equation models.

BACKGROUND: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is associated with poorer health, yet pathways through which IPV affects either mental or physical health are not well characterized. METHODS: Structural equation modeling was used to test a model in which physical-IPV and battering were considered as separate independent variables. The sample included 191 women currently experiencing either physical IPV or battering. Emotional support provided to women experiencing IPV was hypothesized to mediate the impact of IPV on current mental and physical health (dependent variables). RESULTS: Higher scores on emotional support were associated with better physical (beta = -0.23, P < 0.01) and mental health (beta = -0.27, P < 0.001). Physical IPV was directly associated with poorer mental health (beta = 0.023, P < 0.01) and indirectly associated with poorer physical health (beta = 0.18, P < 0.001) and mental health (beta = -0.04, P < 0.05), primarily through battering. Higher battering scores were directly associated with less emotional support (beta = -0.33, P < 0.001) and indirectly associated with poorer physical (beta = 0.12, P < 0.01) and mental health (beta = 0.09, P < 0.01), primarily through emotional support. Model diagnostics indicated a good fit (chi(2) = 20.44, P = 0.37, GFI = 0.98, CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of emotional support may modify the effect of IPV on health. Interventions to increase social and emotional support to abused women may reduce mental and physical health consequences.