Self-reported engagement in healthy eating behaviors is associated with favorable dietary intake among adults in Puerto Rico

Gestational glyphosate exposure and early childhood neurodevelopment in a Puerto Rico birth cohort

INTRODUCTION

N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine, or glyphosate, is a non-selective systemic herbicide widely used in agricultural, industrial, and residential settings since 1974. Glyphosate exposure has been inconsistently linked to neurotoxicity in animals, and studies of effects of gestational exposure among humans are scarce. In this study we investigated relationships between prenatal urinary glyphosate analytes and early childhood neurodevelopment.

METHODS

Mother-child pairs from the PROTECT-CRECE birth cohort in Puerto Rico with measures for both maternal urinary glyphosate analytes and child neurodevelopment were included for analysis (n = 143). Spot urine samples were collected 1-3 times throughout pregnancy and analyzed for glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), an environmental degradant of glyphosate. Child neurodevelopment was assessed at 6, 12, and 24 months using the Battelle Developmental Inventory, 2nd edition Spanish (BDI-2), which provides scores for adaptive, personal-social, communication, motor, and cognitive domains. We used multivariable linear regression to examine associations between the geometric mean of maternal urinary glyphosate analytes across pregnancy and BDI-2 scores at each follow-up. Results were expressed as percent change in BDI-2 score per interquartile range increase in exposure.

RESULTS

Prenatal AMPA concentrations were negatively associated with communication domain at 12 months (%change = -5.32; 95%CI: 9.04, -1.61; p = 0.007), and communication subdomain scores at 12 and 24 months. At 24 months, four BDI-2 domains were associated with AMPA: adaptive (%change = -3.15; 95%CI: 6.05, -0.25; p = 0.038), personal-social (%change = -4.37; 95%CI: 7.48, -1.26; p = 0.008), communication (%change = -7.00; 95%CI: 11.75, -2.26; p = 0.005), and cognitive (%change = -4.02; 95%CI: 6.72, -1.32; p = 0.005). Similar trends were observed with GLY concentrations, but most confidence intervals include zero. We found no significant associations at 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that gestational exposure to glyphosate is associated with adverse early neurodevelopment, with more pronounced delays at 24 months. Given glyphosate's wide usage, further investigation into the impact of gestational glyphosate exposure on neurodevelopment is warranted.

Lessons learned by adapting and implementing LUCHA: a deep-structure culturally tailored healthy eating randomized pilot intervention for ethnic-diverse Latinos

Objectives

To report the adaptation and implementation of LUCHA (Latinos United for a Culturally Healthy Alimentation), a pilot intervention to improve dietary quality and behaviors (primary outcomes) of Latinos in Massachusetts, US, and the lessons learned during the process, including disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, to help shape future programs.

Methods

The cultural adaptation process was pre-planned using a framework, grounded in the Theory of Reasoned Action/Planned Behavior, and informed by formative mixed-methods research. A projected 75 self-identifying Latino adults (25-65y) were recruited with community-wide strategies and randomized to receive, in parallel, daily healthy eating text messages for 2 months, reinforced for 2 subsequent months, to either control (i.e., surface-level messages based on USDA MyPlate in Spanish), or intervention (i.e., deep-structure messages). The intervention messages were ethnically tailored to Caribbean or non-Caribbean heritages specifically, grounded in entrenched cultural attitudes, norms, and preferences. Trained research assistants administered questionnaires and clinical measurements at baseline, 2-months, and 4-months, in person (pre-pandemic) or via online video calls (at-pandemic). Clinicaltrials.gov registration #NCT04724382.

Results

LUCHA faced challenges and opportunities that conveyed lessons for future cultural adaptation and implementation of healthy eating programs. Recommendations are provided to improve digital programs for diverse ethnicities, such as widening language capabilities in texting services, using familiar video call applications, and instructing participants to measure their own clinical metrics at home using guided standardized protocols.

Conclusion

Tailoring nutrition programs with deep-structure cultural messages is essential when promoting healthy eating in diverse Latino heritages. LUCHA can inform programs for similar ethnic groups.