Diet Quality Indices and Physical Activity Levels Associated with Adequacy of Gestational Weight Gain in Pregnant Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

The aim of this study was to evaluate the Diet Quality Index (DQI) and the Physical Activity (PA) levels associated with adequacy of gestational weight gain in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A total of 172 pregnant women with a single fetus and a diagnosis of GDM participated. Food intake was self-reported on the food frequency questionnaire and DQI was quantified using the index validated and revised for Brazil (DQI-R). To assess PA, the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire was administered. Gestational weight gain was classified, following the criteria of the Institute of Medicine, into adequate (AWG), insufficient (IWG), or excessive (EWG) weight gain. A multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed, with level of significance <0.05. The participants were divided into 3 groups: AWG (33.1%), IWG (27.3%), and EWG (39.5%). The analysis indicated that if the pregnant women PA fell into tertile 1 or 2, then they had a greater chance of having IWG, whereas those with the lowest scores on the DQI-R, whose PA fell into tertile 2, and pregestational obesity women had the greatest chance of having EWG. This study has shown that low PA levels may contribute towards IWG. On the other hand, a low final DQI-R score, representing inadequate food habits, low PA levels, and pregestational obesity may increase the chance of EWG in patients with GDM.     

Analytical Assessment and Nutritional Adequacy of School Lunches in Sintra’s Public Primary Schools

School meals present several cost benefits overtime at the short, medium, and long term for individuals and society. This cross-sectional study aims to analyse the nutritional composition and evaluate the adequacy of school lunches. One hundred and fifty-eight samples were collected and analysed from 10 primary schools in Sintra’s municipality, served during one week. On average, energy (27.7% daily energetic requirements) and carbohydrate (48.1%) contents did not reach the reference values, and the content of protein (19.5%) exceeded the reference value (p < 0.05). The mean total fat (28.8%) and saturated fatty acids (5.4%) content complied with the recommendations. The mean salt (1.7 g) and dietary fibre (8.3 g) content exceeded the reference value but did not differ significantly from the recommendations. Addressing school canteens is crucial, not only in a nutritional approach, but also as an opportunity to achieve healthier, sustainable, and accessible food systems, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals 2030. We highlighted the importance of evaluating evidence-based practices and disseminated practice-based evidence regarding the adequacy of school lunches.     

Associations of Lifestyle Factors with Osteopenia and Osteoporosis in Polish Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Reduced physical activity (PA), smoking, and coffee and alcohol drinking constitute risk factors of osteoporosis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the study was to measure the bone mineral density (BMD) and frequency of osteopenia and osteoporosis in patients with IBD and their correlation with PA, smoking, coffee, and alcohol. The study group consisted of 208 patients with IBD-103 with Crohn’s disease (CD), 105 suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC). Densitometric measurements were performed using the DXA. All patients completed a questionnaire concerning PA, smoking, and coffee and alcohol consumption. The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis (L2–L4) in the IBD group was 48.1%; in the CD group, it amounted to 48.6%, and in the UC group, the prevalence was equal to 33.3%. Patients with CD who were diagnosed with osteopenia and osteoporosis demonstrated reduced PA compared to patients with a normal BMD who exercised regularly (p = 0.0335). A similar observation was made in the group of women with IBD. Women with a normal BMD exercised significantly more often than women suffering from osteopenia and osteoporosis (p = 0.0146). However, no differences in BMD were observed with regard to coffee use, alcohol consumption, or smoking. Thus, since the incidence of osteoporosis in IBD patients is high, it may be dependent on PA.     

Evaluating Differences in Whole Blood,Serum, and Urine Screening Tests for Zika Virus,Puerto Rico,USA, 2016

We evaluated nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) for Zika virus on whole-blood specimens compared with NAAT on serum and urine specimens among asymptomatic pregnant women during the 2015–2016 Puerto Rico Zika outbreak. Using NAAT, more infections were detected in serum and urine than in whole blood specimens.     

A Systematic Review of Technology-Based Prevention and Treatment Interventions for Perinatal Depression and Anxiety in Latina and African American Women

Introduction

Latina and African American women have elevated risk for perinatal depression and anxiety but have low rates of treatment engagement. Amid significant improvements in narrowing the digital divide, the number of technology-based mental health interventions has increased. A technology-based mode of delivery is important to consider because it can increase patient engagement and should inform program development. This review aimed to assess the mode of technology used for preventing and/or treating perinatal depression and anxiety in Latina and African American women, examine symptom management, and describe participant satisfaction.

Methods

We used PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, EBSCO, and Social Services Abstracts to identify studies that used technology (e.g., smartphones) to prevent and/or treat depression and/or anxiety in Latina and/or African American perinatal women. To be eligible for inclusion, studies must have had at least 50% Latina and/or African American samples. The review was conducted between November 2018 and October 2019, with no set publication start date.

Results

Of 152 studies reviewed, six met the inclusion criteria. Four studies included African American women; two studies had samples that were mostly composed of Latina women. Three studies used telephone/smartphone (e.g., text messaging) and three implemented internet-based interventions. All studies addressed depression; one focused on anxiety. The findings demonstrated participant satisfaction and promise for symptom management.

Discussion

Despite the limited number of studies that used technology to engage Latina and African American perinatal women, the results suggest that these women were willing to participate in digital interventions to address perinatal depression and anxiety.

     

Telomere Length and Preterm Birth in Pregnant Mexican-Origin Women

Objectives

Despite the obstacles of limited education and employment opportunities—and the stress associated with immigration and pregnancy—Mexican immigrant women have low rates of preterm birth (PTB) compared to the US national average for all races and ethnicities. Stressors during pregnancy, and stressors associated with acculturation, may accelerate cellular aging manifested by shortened telomere length (TL) in pregnant women. Our objectives were to: (1) determine whether women with PTBs had shorter telomere lengths compared to women who had full term births; (2) assess the association of acculturation with TL and PTB.

Methods

This prospective pilot study collected data from 100 self-identified Mexican-origin pregnant women. Survey data included self-administered sociodemographic and acculturation measures and was collected from participants via paper and pen, while biologic data was collected via a single blood draw during a regularly scheduled prenatal visit between 26 and 36 weeks gestation. PTB data was collected from the participant’s medical record after delivery.

Results

TL was significantly associated with PTB; the median TL of the women with PTB was less than the median TL for the full sample (p?=?0.02). Based on regression analysis for PTB vs acculturation, we found no significant associations between acculturation and PTB or TL.

Conclusions for Practice

This study provides important evidence of the association between shortened maternal TL and adverse birth outcomes. By linking social, clinical and biologic data, we can enhance our understanding of social determinants that may affect racial and ethnic disparities in preterm birth.

     

Web Data Mining: Validity of Data from Google Earth for Food Retail Evaluation

To overcome the challenge of obtaining accurate data on community food retail, we developed an innovative tool to automatically capture food retail data from Google Earth (GE). The proposed method is relevant to non-commercial use or scholarly purposes. We aimed to test the validity of web sources data for the assessment of community food retail environment by comparison to ground-truth observations (gold standard). A secondary aim was to test whether validity differs by type of food outlet and socioeconomic status (SES). The study area included a sample of 300 census tracts stratified by SES in two of the largest cities in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. The GE web service was used to develop a tool for automatic acquisition of food retail data through the generation of a regular grid of points. To test its validity, this data was compared with the ground-truth data. Compared to the 856 outlets identified in 285 census tracts by the ground-truth method, the GE interface identified 731 outlets. In both cities, the GE interface scored moderate to excellent compared to the ground-truth data across all of the validity measures: sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy (ranging from 66.3 to 100%). The validity did not differ by SES strata. Supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants yielded better results than other store types. To our knowledge, this research is the first to investigate using GE as a tool to capture community food retail data. Our results suggest that the GE interface could be used to measure the community food environment. Validity was satisfactory for different SES areas and types of outlets.     

The Development of a Multilevel Intervention to Optimise Participant Engagement with an Obesity Prevention Programme Delivered in UK children’s Centres

Prevention Science - Poor participant engagement threatens the potential impact and cost-effectiveness of public health programmes preventing meaningful evaluation and wider application. Although...     

Does spaced education improve clinical knowledge among Family Medicine residents? A cluster randomized controlled trial

Advances in Health Sciences Education - Spaced education is a learning strategy to improve knowledge acquisition and retention. To date, no robust evidence exists to support the utility of spaced...