Middle school-aged child enjoyment of food tastings predicted interest in nutrition education on osteoporosis prevention

SNAP-Ed physical activity interventions in low-income schools are associated with greater cardiovascular fitness among 5th and 7th grade students in California

INTRODUCTION

California's Department of Public Health (CDPH) distributes Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) funding, known as CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL) in California, to local health departments to implement school-based physical activity/nutrition interventions. We determined the association between intervention presence/dose and student cardiorespiratory fitness and BMI.

METHODS

This cross-sectional, observational study included 5th and 7th grade students with 2016-17 FitnessGram® results who attended SNAP-Ed eligible California schools. Intervention group students attended schools with CDPH-CFHL interventions during October 2015-September 2016 (n = 904 schools; 97,504 students, 49% female); comparison group students attended schools without CDPH-CFHL interventions (n = 3,506 schools; 372,298 students, 49% female). Adjusted multilevel models determined the association between school-level intervention presence/dose and students' cardiorespiratory fitness (estimated VO2max) and BMI z-score, and tested for effect modification by student grade and sex.

RESULTS

Students attending intervention schools demonstrated greater VO2max (males: 0.18 mL/kg per min, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.34; females = 0.26 mL/kg per min, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.39) and lower BMI z-scores (males: -0.03, 95% CI: -0.05, -0.02; females = -0.02, 95% CI: -0.04, -0.01) than students in comparison schools. Students in schools with the highest intervention levels demonstrated higher VO2max (0.37 (95% CI: 0.06, 0.16) and 0.22 (95% CI: 0.02, 0.42), respectively), than comparison students, with the strongest associations seen for females and 7th graders.

CONCLUSION

On average, students in schools with CDPH-CFHL physical activity interventions demonstrated better cardiorespiratory fitness and slightly lower BMI z-scores than students in comparable schools without such programing. Investment in these interventions may positively impact students' cardiorespiratory health, though further causal investigation is warranted.

The Effect of a Family-Based Lifestyle Education Program on Dietary Habits, Hepatic Fat and Adiposity Markers in 8-12-Year-Old Children with Overweight/Obesity

Healthy lifestyle education programs are recommended for obesity prevention and treatment. However, there is no previous information on the effects of these programs on the reduction of hepatic fat percentage. The aims were (i) to examine the effectiveness of a 22-week family-based lifestyle education program on dietary habits, and (ii) to explore the associations of changes in dietary intake with percent hepatic fat reduction and adiposity in children with overweight/obesity. A total of 81 children with overweight/obesity (aged 10.6 ± 1.1 years, 53.1% girls) and their parents attended a 22-week family based healthy lifestyle and psychoeducational program accompanied with (intensive group) or without (control) an exercise program. Hepatic fat (magnetic resonance imaging), adiposity (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) and dietary habits (two non-consecutive 24 h-recalls) were assessed before and after the intervention. Energy (p < 0.01) fat (p < 0.01) and added sugar (p < 0.03) intake were significantly reduced in both groups at the end of the program, while, in addition, carbohydrates intake (p < 0.04) was reduced exclusively in the control group, and simple sugar (p < 0.05) and cholesterol (p < 0.03) intake was reduced in the exercise group. Fruit (p < 0.03) and low-fat/skimmed dairy consumption (p < 0.02), the adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for children and teenagers (KIDMED, p < 0.01) and breakfast quality index (p < 0.03) were significantly higher in both control and intervention groups after the intervention. Moreover, participants in the exercise group increased the adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet (p < 0.001), whereas the ratio of evening-morning energy intake was significantly lower exclusively in the control group after the program (p < 0.02). Changes in energy intake were significantly associated with changes in fat mass index (FMI) in the exercise group, whereas changes in sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) consumption was associated with percent hepatic fat reduction (p < 0.05) in the control group. A 22-week family-based healthy lifestyle program seems to be effective on improving diet quality and health in children with overweight/obesity and these should focus on SSB avoidance and physical activity.

Estrogen therapy associated with mechanical vibration improves bone microarchitecture and density in osteopenic female mice

We investigated the effects of estrogen therapy (ET) associated with low-intensity and high-frequency mechanical vibration (MV) on bone tissue in osteopenic female mice. Fifty 3-month-old female Swiss mice were ovariectomized (OVX) or sham-operated, and distributed after 4 months into the following groups, with 10 animals per group: Sham; Control, OVX + vehicle solution; MV, OVX + MV; ET, OVX + 17β-estradiol; and MV + ET, OVX + MV and 17β-estradiol. Both vehicle solution and 17β-estradiol (10 μg kg-1  day-1 ) were injected subcutaneously 7 days per week, and vibration (0.6 g, 60 Hz) was delivered 30 min per day, 5 days per week. Bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition were evaluated by densitometry at baseline and after 60 days of treatment when the animals were euthanized, and their femurs underwent histomorphometric and histochemical analyses. The Control group showed increased weight and fat percentage, while the ET and MV + ET groups showed increased lean mass but decreased fat percentage. At the end of the treatment period, the BMD decreased in Control, remained constant in Sham and MV, and increased in ET and MV + ET. The MV + ET group showed the greatest bone volume compared with Sham (129%), Control (350%), MV (304%) and ET (14%). No differences occurred in cortical thickness. The Control group showed the highest content of mature collagen fibers, while the MV + ET group showed the highest content of immature collagen fibers. In conclusion, ET plus MV was effective in improving bone quality in osteopenic female mice, and this improvement is associated with specific changes in trabecular but not cortical bone.

Classroom Nutrition Education Combined With Fruit and Vegetable Taste Testing Improves Children's Dietary Intake

BACKGROUND

We tested the effectiveness of the Go Wild With Fruits and Veggies! (GWWFV) Extension curriculum on increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) intake of third graders.

METHODS

An intervention study was used testing self-reported FV intake pre/post GWWFV. Recruited schools were randomized to control (12 schools, N = 369, third grade children) or intervention (14 schools, N = 378, third grade children). Measures included items from a validated FV food frequency survey. Access to the federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program (FFVSP), and taste testing within GWWFV were also measured. Between-group differences in FV intake were evaluated using 1-way ANOVA for unadjusted models and 1-way ANCOVA for baseline adjusted models. The Tukey-Kramer test was employed for post hoc comparisons.

RESULTS

Students with access to the FFVSP consumed more fruits (p < .01) and vegetables (p < .0001). Students who participated in the FFVSP and GWWFV with taste testing consumed more fruits and vegetables (p < .05) compared with students who participated in the FFVSP and GWWFV without taste testing, along with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The FFVSP and GWWFV with taste testing demonstrated a positive influence on FV intake in third grade children. Leveraging environmental approaches with interactive learning experiences create desired outcomes.

Changes in the Dickkopf-1 and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b serum levels in preschool children with nephrotic syndrome

The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in the serum Dickkopf-1 (DKK-1) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b) levels in preschoolers with nephrotic syndrome (NS). A total of 50 preschoolers (3-5 years old) with NS and 20 healthy preschoolers (control group) were enrolled in the prospective single-center study. The patients with NS received glucocorticoid treatment and the control group received no treatment. The levels of serum calcium, phosphorus, TRACP-5b, DKK-1 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 were measured at baseline and at 3 and 6 months in all the subjects. The levels of DKK-1 and TRACP-5b were significantly higher in the NS group prior to treatment when compared to the control group (P<0.05), but did not differ significantly between the two groups following treatment (P>0.05). Therefore, DKK-1 and TRACP-5b can be used as biomarkers of bone formation and bone resorption, respectively, in the early evaluation of bone metabolism.