Breakfast and lunch meal skipping patterns among fourth-grade children from selected public schools in urban, suburban, and rural maryland

The objective of this study was to describe breakfast and lunch consumption patterns of fourth-grade students from selected public schools in Maryland and how they differ by geographic location. Data were collected from a sample of 540 fourth-grade public school children (46% male, 62% white; mean age=9 years) from three geographically distinct regions of Maryland (30% rural, 30% suburban, and 40% urban). Data on breakfast and lunch consumption were collected using an in-classroom questionnaire. chi(2) tests were used to compare skipping meal behavior by geographic location. Twenty percent of fourth-grade students reported skipping breakfast and/or lunch at least three times per week. Urban students were more than twice as likely to skip breakfast and to eat school-prepared meals compared with suburban and rural students. Dietitians in all regions need to explore new ways to encourage regular meal consumption among students in their schools.     

广州市城区小学生父母及子女体像认知差异分析

目的了解广东省广州市小学生父母及子女体像认知情况,为制定科学、有效的儿童肥胖干预措施提供理论依据。方法于2014年4—10月,采用问卷及现场测量方法对广州市6 068名3~5年级学生及其父母进行体像认知调查及小学生身高和体重测量。结果广州市3~5年级学生消瘦、超重及肥胖发生率分别为14.49%、9.54%和5.37%;77.85%的学生对自己的体像不满,高于父母的72.98%,子女自我体像不满意度评分为0.19,父母对子女的体像不满意度评分为–0.30,无论性别及年级,学生自我体像不满意度评分均为正分,而父母则均为负分;正常体重但父母对其体像不满的学生中,70.01%的父母希望其变胖一点,正常体重但自我体像不满的学生期望自己变胖的比例仅为46.07%;与低年级相比,更多的中、高年级学生倾向于变瘦,父母期望低年级子女变胖的愿望也明显强于对高年级的子女;公办学校的学生及父母对体像的认知准确性高于民办学校。结论广州市3~5小学生父母及学生自我对体像的认知存在明显偏倚,如何提高学生及父母对体像认知的准确性可作为儿童肥胖干预的一个研究方向。     

The relationship of school absenteeism with body mass index, academic achievement, and socioeconomic status among fourth-grade children

BACKGROUND: Data from a school‐based study concerning fourth‐grade children's dietary recall accuracy were linked with data from the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) through the South Carolina Budget and Control Board Office of Research and Statistics (ORS) to investigate the relationships of children's school absenteeism with body mass index (BMI), academic achievement, and socioeconomic status (SES). METHODS: Data for all variables were available for 920 fourth‐grade children during 2 school years (2005–2006, 2006–2007). Number of school days absent for each child and eligibility for free/reduced‐price school meals (SES measure) were provided to ORS by SCDE. Children's weight and height were measured by research staff; age/sex‐specific BMI percentile was calculated and grouped into categories. For academic achievement, Palmetto Achievement Challenge Tests scores were provided by the school district. The associations of absenteeism with BMI, academic achievement, SES, and school year were investigated with logistic binomial models using the modified sandwich variance estimator to adjust for multiple outcomes within schools. RESULTS: The relationships between absenteeism and each of BMI percentile category and SES were not significant (all coefficient p values > .118). The relationship between absenteeism and academic achievement was inversely significant (p value < .0001; coefficient = ?.087). CONCLUSIONS: These results support the inverse relationship between absenteeism and academic achievement that was expected and has been found by other researchers. The lack of significant results concerning the relationships between absenteeism and both BMI and SES differs from earlier, limited research. More research to investigate these relationships is needed.     

Alcohol consumption among urban, suburban, and rural Veterans Affairs outpatients

Purpose: United States rural residents tend toward poorer health than urban residents. Although alcohol use is associated with multiple medical conditions and can be reduced via brief primary care‐based interventions, it is unknown whether alcohol consumption differs by rurality among primary care patients. We sought to describe alcohol consumption among urban, suburban, and rural Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatients. Methods: Outpatients from 7 VA facilities responded to mailed surveys that included the validated Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption (AUDIT‐C) screening questionnaire. The ZIP code approximation of the US Department of Agriculture's rural‐urban commuting area (RUCA) codes classified participants into urban, suburban, and rural areas. For each area, adjusted logistic regression models estimated the prevalence of past‐year abstinence among all participants and unhealthy alcohol use (AUDIT‐C ≥ 3 for women and ≥ 4 for men) among drinkers. Findings: Among 33,883 outpatients, 14,967 (44%) reported abstinence. Among 18,916 drinkers, 8,524 (45%) screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use. The adjusted prevalence of abstinence was lowest in urban residents (43%, 95% CI 42%‐43%) with significantly higher rates in both suburban and rural residents [45% (44%‐46%) and 46% (45%‐47%), respectively]. No significant differences were observed in the adjusted prevalence of unhealthy alcohol use among drinkers. Conclusions: Abstinence is slightly more common among rural and suburban than urban VA outpatients, but unhealthy alcohol use does not vary by rurality. As the VA and other health systems implement evidence‐based care for unhealthy alcohol use, more research is needed to identify whether preventive strategies targeted to high‐risk areas are needed.     

农民工子弟与公办学校初中生伤害危险行为比较

目的 了解农工子弟学校与公办学校初中学生伤害危险行为发生状况,为制定干预措施提供基础数据.方法 采取分层整群抽样方法,以匿名方式对广东省11所农民工子弟学校和16所公办学校共5 791名初中学生进行伤害危险行为问卷调查.结果 农民工子弟学校初中学生打架行为发生率为30.5%,自伤行为11.2%,受欺侮13.1%,感到孤独12.9%,伤心绝望11.7%,失眠10.2%,均高于公办学校初中学生的22.4%,9.1%,10.7%,8.5%,9.3%,8.1%(P<0.01);无安全感8.0%,不安全玩耍90.4%,低于公办学校初中学生10.2%,93.7%(P<0.01);骑车违规、步行违规、非安全区游泳、打架、不安全感等外显性伤害危险行为男生高于女生(P<0.01);感到孤独、心情郁闷、失眠、伤心绝望、自伤等内隐性伤害危险行为女生高于男生(P<0.01).结论 农民工子弟发生暴力和自杀相关行为较一般学生高,应该更加关注农民工子弟社会适应问题.     

Rural,urban, and suburban differences in influenza vaccination coverage among children

Influenza vaccination is the primary way to prevent influenza, yet influenza vaccination coverage remains low in the United States. Previous studies have shown that children residing in rural areas have less access to healthcare and lower vaccination coverage for some vaccines. Influenza vaccination coverage among children 6 months–17 years by rural/urban residence during the 2011–12 through 2018–19 influenza seasons was examined using National Immunization Survey-Flu data. The Council of American Survey Research Organizations response rates for National Immunization Survey-Flu ranged from 48% to 65% (2011–12 through the 2017–18 seasons) for the landline sample and 20%–39% (2011–12 through the 2018–19 seasons) for the cellular telephone sample. Children residing in rural areas had influenza vaccination coverage that ranged from 7.9 (2012–13 season) to 12.6 (2016–17 season) percentage points lower than children residing in urban areas, and ranged from 4.5 (2012–13 season) to 7.4 (2016–17 season) percentage points lower than children residing in suburban areas. The differences in influenza vaccination coverage among rural, suburban, and urban children were consistent over the eight seasons studied. Lower influenza vaccination coverage was observed among rural children regardless of child’s age, mother’s education, household income, or number of children under 18 years of age in the household. Rural versus urban and suburban differences in influenza vaccination coverage remained statistically significant while adjusting for selected sociodemographic characteristics. A better understanding of the reasons for lower childhood influenza vaccination coverage for children in rural and suburban areas is needed.     

Depression, overweight and perceived body image among adolescents living in suburban areas

The aim of the article is to explore the association between depression and overweight among adolescents living in suburban areas and to verify to what extend the acceptance of body image may be a mediating factor. The study was conducted on the sample of 322 students (girls--51.2%, boys--48.8%) aged 16 - 19 years attending two senior high schools in Radzymin. Overweight was measured by Body Mass Index (BMI) and according to WHO recommendations the following categories were established: BMI < 20--underweight, 20 < BMI < 25--normal weight, BMI > 25--overweight or obese. A question about the acceptance of body image contained four possible answers: I'm okay/I do not weight properly, but I accept myself/I do not accept myself, I'm too thin/I do not accept myself, I'm to thick. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used for measure the level of depression. Unexpectedly, our investigations found association between depression and overweight only for boys. In turn, the girls, as expected, lower accepted their body image than boys. Moreover a considerable percents of girls whose weight was normal, and even those with underweight, perceived themselves as thick. The association between acceptance of body image and depression was confirmed only for girls. Our study suggests that the lack of acceptance of body image, especially by girls, to greater extend causes the appearance of depression than real overweight.     

包头市城郊中学生营养状况调查

目的 了解内蒙古自治区包头市城郊中学生营养状况,为全面提高其营养水平提供依据。方法 随机抽取包头市城区及郊区409名中学生,采用身高标准体重法进行生长发育状况调查,同时进行营养缺乏症的相关检查。结果 学生低体重、较低体重、正常体重、超重、肥胖率分别为2.2%、38.4%、39.4%、5.9%、14.2%,城郊学生、男女学生比较差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05);营养缺乏症检查结果,畏光、眼部干燥、牙龈出血、龋齿、毛囊角化、腓肠肌痉挛的检出率分别为21.0%、16.6%、32.2%、24.0%、20.3%、16.6%;其他如夜盲症、上下肢麻木感、食欲不振的检出率较低,分别为7.1%、6.1%、5.1%。结论 该地区中学生营养状况不容乐观,应采取切实可行的干预措施以全面提高学生的整体营养水平。     

Acculturation and body image perception among Latino youth

Objectives. Examine the prevalence and predictors of body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating among Latino youth.

Design. One hundred and sixty-seven Latino youth were surveyed as part of a tailored nutrition communication intervention. The youth's mean age was 12.81 years (SD?=?2.74) and 54% were female. Mean self-rated health was 2.59 (SD?=?1.02; range: 1?=?good to 5?=?poor), despite 70% reporting a desire to be thinner. Using age and gender-specific growth charts, 16% of the youth were classified as at risk for overweight and 34% were classified as overweight.

Results. Among adolescents, girls (p?≤?0.001), youth who were classified as at risk for or being overweight (p?≤?0.001), and who more strongly recognized and agreed with socially sanctioned standards of appearance as represented in the media (Standardized beta St. β?=?1.86, p?≤?0.001) were more dissatisfied with their body image (R²=0.57). Among children, being at risk for or overweight (p?≤?0.001), reporting a stronger affiliation with the Mexican culture (St. β?=?0.84, p?≤?0.01) and stronger expectations that a healthy diet was associated with improved appearance (St. β?=?0.63, p?≤?0.05) predicted greater body image dissatisfaction (R²=0.55).

Conclusion. Interventions that address sociocultural attitudes toward appearance may be effective at reducing both the prevalence of body image dissatisfaction and disordered eating.     

Biologic effects of lead on school children of urban and suburban Tokyo

Summary There are few reports on lead exposure of children in or near large cities which compare the blood lead values of those who live towards the center of cities and those living in the suburbs. Since lead poisoning among children in the United States is a serious problem, the authors wished to study the effects of lead in the environment on the young population in and near Tokyo. The results indicated much lower blood lead levels in school children than in adults in Tokyo. There is a statistically significant difference in PbB levels between urban and suburban children although the actual difference was only 1 – 2 g/100 g. Thus children living in urban Tokyo seem to have slightly higher body burdens of lead than suburban children. This difference in lead body burden is most probably not attributable to lead in ambient air but to other factors such as food. However, the possibility of the contribution of lead in ambient air cannot be totally rejected. Further investigation is required to identify the factor or factors which are responsible for this phenomenon.     

Blood pressure among overweight adolescents from urban school children in Pune, India

OBJECTIVES: To examine the magnitude of overweight and its association with blood pressure (BP) among adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study with all children in age range 9-16 years (n=1146 boys and 1077 girls) from two schools catering to urban affluent high socio-economic class (HSE), for anthropometric measurements by trained investigators and BP measurement by a pediatrician using sphygmomanometer. RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight based on conventional body mass index (BMI) cutoff was 27.5% for boys and 20.9% for girls but varied for different indicators. Prevalence of high systolic blood pressure (HSBP) was 12.0% in boys and 9.7% in girls and increased with increasing levels of BMI, weight, triceps skin fold thickness (TSFT) and percent body fat. Mean level of SBP among overweight children was significantly (P<0.001) higher by about 12 mm Hg, whereas that for diastolic blood pressure was higher by 8 mm Hg (P<0.001) as compared to their non-overweight (age, sex-matched) counterparts. This was true in both sexes and for all indicators used for assessing overweight. Prevalence of HSBP increased suddenly beyond BMI value of 20 kg/m2 in boys and 21.5 kg/m2 in girls, beyond TSFT value of 12 mm for boys and 14 mm for girls whereas such cutoffs for body fat were above 25% in both sexes. These cutoffs appear much lower than the conventional ones and therefore indicate the need for validation of conventional cutoffs in different populations. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight that BP measurement needs to be a routine part of physical examination in school children, and the use of cutoffs anchored to metabolic risks may be essential for assessment of obesity.     

城乡社区成人不同季节血清类胡萝卜素水平

目的测定部分城乡成年居民血清中类胡萝卜素的浓度。方法从三个不同类型的社区中,选择184人30～60岁成人(男性84,女100)作为被调查对象,分别于夏、秋、冬、春四个季节时采集每个受试者的空腹静脉血,用HPLC测定血清中β-胡萝卜素、α-胡萝卜素、β-隐黄质、番茄红素、叶黄素类(叶黄素和玉米黄质)五种类胡萝卜素的含量。结果被调查者四个季节的血清中,五种类胡萝卜素的平均浓度(μmol/L)为:β-胡萝卜素0.72±0.20,0.71±0.18,0.70±0.19和0.63±0.20,α-胡萝卜素0.037±0.018,0.039±0.015,0.038±0.017和0.030±0.019,β-隐黄质0.11±0.03,0.14±0.03,0.13±0.04和0.10±0.03,叶黄素和玉米黄素0.61±0.16,0.45±0.09,0.46±0.12和0.47±0.14,番茄红素:0.43±0.26,0.11±0.06,0.07±0.04和0.07±0.03。春季时血清β-胡萝卜素明显低于其他三个季节,但其中城市中心社区居民的血清β-胡萝卜素浓度没有明显季节变化。血清α-胡萝卜素、β-隐黄质、叶黄素和玉米黄素、番茄红素浓度都有着显著的季节变化。三类居民间在每个季节、每一种类胡萝卜素成分的血清平均浓度都有显著差别。结论本文报告了184名中国成年居民夏、秋、冬、春四个季节713份血清中类胡萝卜素摄入量数据,为了解部分人群的血液类胡萝卜素分布提供资料。     

Weight status and body image perception in Italian children.

BACKGROUND: Previous research suggests there is a tendency in overweight subjects to underestimate their weight status. This study investigated the perception of body image in Italian children, with particular regard to overweight children. METHODS: Primary school children (n = 866) were recruited for this cross-sectional nutritional survey in northern Italy. Anthropometric measurements were performed to determine body mass index (BMI). Body image perception was assessed with the Body Silhouette Chart for preadolescent children shown to the children and to their mothers (n = 778) during an interview. A new scheme to identify wrong (F.1, F.2) or inappropriate (F.3) self figure responses in overweight subjects was used. RESULTS: More than one-third of the Italian children examined were above the normal BMI range (prevalence of overweight: 35.8%, girls; 37.2%, boys). A higher degree of dissatisfaction was expressed by girls than by boys, and the percentage increased in overweight/obese children. A discrepancy between the self figure perception and the real nutritional status of the subject occurred in 6-9% of the overweight/obese children. CONCLUSION: The comparison of body image perception and anthropometric assessment of nutritional status could play an important role in future programs of nutritional surveillance as they provide indications of dissatisfaction and body image disturbances.     

Health risk behaviors among adolescents attending rural,suburban, and urban schools: a comparative study

This study describes differences in health risk behaviors among 2,017 adolescents attending rural, suburban, and urban school districts in upstate New York. Differences in risk behaviors regarding use of tobacco, alcohol, and illegal substances; sexual activity; and carrying weapons were analyzed. A consistent pattern emerged from the analysis of the data, with rural students at most risk. The findings reinforce the need to focus on the relationship between residence and health risk behaviors, so that intervention programs specific to the needs of rural, suburban, and urban adolescents can be developed.     

Relationship of anger, stress, and coping with school connectedness in fourth-grade children

BACKGROUND: High trait anger and stress, ineffective patterns of anger expression, and coping are risk factors for the development of disease and negative social behaviors in children and adults. School connectedness may be protective against negative consequences in adolescents, but less is known about this in school-aged children. The purposes of this study were to characterize relationships between trait anger, stress, patterns of anger expression, resources for coping, and school connectedness and to determine if race and gender moderate these relationships in elementary school-aged children. METHODS: Using self-report, standardized instruments, a convenience sample of 166 fourth graders in 4 elementary schools in 1 US school district was assessed in the fifth week of the school year. RESULTS: School connectedness was positively associated with social confidence and behavior control and negatively associated with trait anger, anger-out, and stress. In multiple regression analyses to test for interactions, gender did not moderate the effects of school connectedness in any of the models, while race moderated the relationships between school connectedness and both stress and social confidence. Students with higher school connectedness had lower trait anger and anger-out and higher behavior control, regardless of gender and/or race. White students higher in school connectedness had lower stress and higher social confidence. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate the protective effect of school connectedness on trait anger, anger-out, and behavior control in school-aged children, regardless of race or gender. The protective effect of school connectedness on stress and social confidence may depend on race.     

Binge Eating Disorder and body image perception among university students

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is characterized by recurrent episodes of compulsive eating, without any compensatory behavior to avoid possible gain weight. Individuals who suffer from eating disorders often show negative self-image.The present paper aimed to assess BED prevalence and self-image disorders among university students in the city of São José do Rio Preto, State of São Paulo, Brazil.The survey had the participation of 217 undergraduates. The following procedures were carried out: a personal data questionnaire, the Binge Eating Scale and a figure scale.In the surveyed population, 12.90% showed BED. Most subjects (86.32%) chose larger figures when compared to their current BMI, overestimating their body size. Furthermore, BED individuals showed higher self-image inadequacy in comparison to people without the disorder.Therefore, this is a public health problem to which undergraduates are exposed; forthcoming studies may be carried out to understand BED and associated commorbidities.     

Anthropometric status and body image perception among Moroccan university students

BackgroundUniversity students aged between 18 and 25 undergo several physical changes as a result of transition from adolescence to adulthood. Students do not always accept those changes and sometimes develop dissatisfaction towards their figures. In such cases, it is still not clear how actual body weight status can be affected by socio-cultural factors such as body image perception. The objective of this study was to determine the link between anthropometric status and body image perception among university students.MethodsTwo hundred and forty six (246) university students from the Faculty of Sciences and Technologies within the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region in Morocco, aged 20–24 years were interviewed using face-to-face questionnaires. Anthropometric measurements and Body Mass Index were collected. Body image perception was assessed by Figure Rating Scale, and body size dissatisfaction was calculated as Feel minus Ideal Discrepancy (FID). Data were described using means and proportions. The Student t-test and the chi-square test have been used to assess the statistical significance of group differences.ResultsUnderweight students represented 16.7% of the investigated sample, while 11.4% suffered from overweight and obesity, higher in females students (14.4%) than in males (7.9%). Regarding body image perception, 43.9% of participants considered themselves underweight; whereas only 4.2% considered themselves overweight with no significant differences related to gender. Of note, the total prevalence of body image dissatisfaction was around 69.8%. Finally, among overweight/obese students, 88.9% of females and 71.4% of males expressed the wish to become thinner while 28.6% of the overweight/obese males wanted to get heavier.ConclusionThe results of this study indicate a high rate of body image dissatisfaction and a tendency of participants to underestimate their body weight. This behavior may be a reflection of a real influence of social and psychological factors occurring during this critical period and may make university students vulnerable to many risk-taking behaviors. Thus, there is a need for suitable interventional programs and innovative strategies to ensure the understanding of the health consequences of overweight and obesity and to prevent associated comorbidities.     

Dieting practices and body image perception among Lebanese university students

Dieting is becoming a popular phenomenon among university students to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. The purpose of this study is to obtain a preliminary understanding of what dieting practices university students use in order to achieve their desirable body weight and to determine the magnitude of body dissatisfaction in relation to weight status among a sample of students (n=252) from the Lebanese American University in Beirut, Lebanon. Students filled out a self-reported questionnaire that included questions on their dieting and physical activity practices in addition to the body shape questionnaire (BSQ). Weight and height were measured to calculate body mass index. Percentage body fat was measured using Tanita scale body fat analyzer 300A. The outcome of this study showed that smoking and unhealthy dieting practices were not common among students (only 26% reported smoking, 8% reported taking laxatives and 4% taking diet pills). Half of the students reported practicing regular physical activity. Multivitamin intake was also not popular among students. BSQ scores indicate that the majority of students were not worried about their body image perception (64% reported not being worried, 19% were slightly worried, 12% were moderately worried and 5% were extremely worried). A gender difference was observed in the BSQ scores, as 89% of the "extremely worried" students were females. Collectively, results indicate that unhealthy dieting practices are uncommon among students. However, developing health promotion awareness' programs to promote good self image within the concept of a realistic healthy weight will be beneficial, especially among females.