Development of Parent and Adolescent Questionnaires to Assess Food Parenting Practices That Address Adolescent Consumption During Independent Eating Occasions

ObjectiveTo develop and test parent and early adolescent questionnaires to assess food parenting practices that influence early adolescent food consumption during independent eating occasions (iEOs).MethodsCross-sectional online questionnaires were completed by 206 and 62 low-income parent/early adolescent (11–14 years) dyads at Time 1 and 2, respectively, recruited via a Qualtrics (Provo, UT) US national panel database. Principal component analyses, internal consistency, and test–retest reliability checks were performed.ResultsSix parallel components were identified for parents and early adolescents with acceptable internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Scales included autonomy support, monitoring, availability, indulgence, expectations, and modeling. All except indulgence were positively correlated with importance of helping early adolescents make healthy choices during iEOs.Conclusions and ImplicationsAdditional research is needed to test the questionnaires’ validity regarding relationships between parenting practices and early adolescent consumption during iEOs. Findings could inform development of interventions to improve consumption during these occasions.     

Regular Exercise in 30- to 60-Year-Old Men: Combining The Stages-of-Change Model and The Theory of Planned Behavior to Identify Determinants for Targeting Heart Health Interventions

The theory of planned behavior and the stages-of-change model were used to gain a clearer understanding of the factors associated with regular exercise in order to plan more effective programs in heart disease prevention. The study was conducted using a self-administered postal questionnaire sent to a sample of 2,269 men 30 to 60 years of age. Nearly a quarter (23.3%) of respondents were physically inactive, of whom 10.5% were in the precontemplation and 12.8% in the contemplation stages ; 42.1% exercised less than twice a week, of whom 22.4% were in the preparation I and 19.7% in the preparation II stages. Only 34.6% were in the action stage, exercising regularly for at least 20 minutes twice a week or more with the intention of continuing to do so. Logistic regression indicated that the variables derived from the theory of planned behavior, namely attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control, were differently associated with the stages of behavior. Perceived behavioral control was strongly significant in all stages. Attitude was related with stages in which individuals have intention of exercising (contemplation and preparation II). In contrast, subjective norm seemed to be associated with stages in which individuals have no intention of doing so (precontemplation and preparation I). By identifying the specific needs of sub-groups, the results can help define programs most likely to accelerate men to the stage of regular exercise, part of an effective strategy for heart health promotion in this high-risk population.     

Establishing Postnatal Growth Monitoring Curves of Preterm Infants in China: Allowing for Continuous Use from 24 Weeks of Preterm Birth to 50 Weeks

Background: Early postnatal growth monitoring and nutrition assessment for preterm infants is a public health and clinical concern. We aimed to establish a set of postnatal growth monitoring curves of preterm infants to better help clinicians make in-hospital and post-discharge nutrition plan of these vulnerable infants. Methods: We collected weight, length and head circumference data from a nationwide survey in China between 2015 and 2018. Polynomial regression and the modified LMS methods were employed to construct the smoothed weight, length and head circumference growth curves. Results: We established the P₃, P₁₀, P₂₅, P₅₀, P₇₅, P₉₀, P₉₇ reference curves of weight, length and head circumference that allowed for continuous use from 24 weeks of preterm birth to 50 weeks and developed a set of user-friendly growth monitoring charts. We estimated approximate ranges of weight gain per day and length and head circumference gains per week. Conclusions: Our established growth monitoring curves, which can be used continuously without correcting gestational age from 24 weeks of preterm birth to 50 weeks, may be useful for assessment of postnatal growth trajectories, definition of intrauterine growth retardation at birth, and classification of early nutrition status for preterm infants.