Objective: We qualitatively examine the grocery shopping behaviors and fruit and vegetable consumption of low-income families participating in the Brighter Bites program in Houston, Texas.
Design: We used a single-group observational study design. We used (1) purposive sampling of schools and (2) convenience sampling of parents/caregivers to recruit participants.
Background: Food insecurity is associated with high morbidity and mortality and is typically measured with the 10-item US Adult Food Security Survey Module. Shorter instruments may capture similar information, but this has not been validated against mortality in general populations.
Methods: A nationally representative sample of individuals aged 20 to 74 years from the US National Health Interview Survey 2011 to 2018 was included, with deaths linked to the National Death Index through 2019.
Background: Early diagnosis and treatment of Crohn's Disease are associated with decreased risk of surgery and complications. However, diagnostic delay is frequently seen in clinical practice. To better understand Crohn's Disease risk factors and disease indicators, we identified, described, and predicted incident Crohn's Disease patients based on the Electronic Health Record data of the Mount Sinai Health System.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Environ Res Public Health
October 2024
During the COVID-19 pandemic, hypertensive patients had increased infection and healthcare disruption in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with limited vaccine access. The objective of this report is to describe COVID-19 experiences and vaccination uptake among hypertensive patients in Colombia and Jamaica. A cross-sectional study of patients with hypertension was conducted in primary care clinics in both countries between 2021 and 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: COVID-19 vaccination and shielding targeted hypertensive patients in low and middle income countries. We describe the COVID-19 experiences of hypertensive patients in Colombia and Jamaica and discuss factors associated with vaccine acceptance.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 and February 2022 in 4 randomly selected primary care clinics in Colombia and 10 primary care clinics in Jamaica.
Background And Objectives: Individuals of color and of low socioeconomic status are at greater risk of experiencing community violence and food insecurity, which are both influenced by neighborhood conditions. We evaluated neighborhood collective efficacy as a linkage between community violence exposure and household food insecurity.
Methods: Mothers from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study who completed phone surveys when the child was 3 (time 1, T1) and 5 years old (time 2, T2) were included (n = 2068).
Background: Produce prescription programs are gaining traction in the U.S.; however, data on the impact of such approaches in pediatric populations are limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Identifying family environment factors related to food insecurity and maternal mental health could inform additional support for mothers who experience food insecurity. This study seeks to examine the mechanistic roles of co-parenting support and parenting stress on the food insecurity-maternal mental health relationship.
Methods: Data from the Future of Families and Child Well-being Study, which recruited mothers post-delivery from 75 urban hospitals, was utilized.
Goals: We described the demographics, inpatient utilization, and cost of services among patients hospitalized for putative cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) predating and postdating cannabis legalization in Massachusetts.
Background: As the recreational use of cannabis has been widely legalized nationally, the resulting shifts in clinical presentation, health care utilization, and estimated costs of CHS hospitalizations remain unclear in the postlegalization era.
Study: We performed a retrospective cohort study among patients admitted to a large urban hospital between 2012 and 2021, before and after the date of cannabis legalization in Massachusetts (Dec 15, 2016).
The objective of the present study was to examine associations between variables of COVID-19-related concerns and changes in fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption among a sample of participants from the Brighter Bites program at risk for food insecurity. Cross-sectional data were collected during April-June 2020 using a rapid-response survey to understand social needs, COVID-19-related concerns and diet-related behaviours among families with children participating in Brighter Bites ( 1777) in the 2019-2020 school year at risk for food insecurity, within the surrounding Houston, Dallas, Austin, Texas area; Southwest Florida; Washington, D.C.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe examined the association between school connectedness (SC) and e-cigarette susceptibility/ ever use in a diverse sample of Texas 6 graders, with a secondary aim to explore the association stratified by gender and classroom setting (in-person vs remote). A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of CATCH My Breath baseline data, representing 985 6 -graders from 21 public schools. SC was based on National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health measures; e-cigarette susceptibility/ever use was based on the FDA's definition of "at-risk" for long-term use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a nutrition intervention on food insecurity among low-income households with children. Data were collected from 371 parent−child dyads in a quasi-experimental evaluation study of a 1-year intervention (n = 6 intervention schools receiving Brighter Bites, n = 6 wait-list control schools), and longitudinal follow-up of the intervention group 2 years post-intervention in Houston, Texas. Data were collected at three timepoints: at baseline and 1 year for all participants, and at 2 year follow-up for the intervention group (the wait-list control group received the intervention during that time).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To examine demographic and dietary correlates of consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables (FV) among Texas adolescents. Different types of FV are needed for adequate dietary intake of vitamins and phytochemicals for proper development and functioning throughout the lifespan.
Design: Cross-sectional analysis from the Texas Surveillance of Physical Activity and Nutrition (Texas SPAN) data comparing consumption of a variety of fruit and vegetables by gender, race/ethnicity and region (Texas-Mexico border/non-border).
Background: National data show a trend favoring laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) over Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Published data demonstrating the differences in weight loss between the two procedures are mixed.
Objective: In this retrospective study using clinical data from 2010 to 2020, we compared the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients undergoing either SG or RYGB to evaluate their long-term weight loss outcomes.
Background: Community health assessment and improvement planning processes (CHA/CHIP) are often challenged with developing health actions that reach across a large community, city or county and that incorporate locally informed issues and place-specific strategies. In co-learning about approaches for enhancing CHA/CHIP processes through youth stakeholder input, a partnership of academic and community leaders came together to create The Youth-Led Community Health Learning Initiative (YLCHLI), a 1-year pilot initiative aimed at identifying health needs and assets in partnership with youth leaders and two central Texas communities.
Objective: To describe our approach, key findings, and lessons learned in implementing the YLCHLI in two different organizational settings: a high school-based setting and a community-based organization setting.
Importance: Children's diets affect health trajectories but are difficult to influence, especially for resource-constrained families.
Objective: To assess the effectiveness of providing 4 weeks of grocery gift cards and small produce boxes to caregivers on their ability to support healthy shifts in children's diets.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This 2-group randomized clinical trial was conducted from May to July 2021, with 4 weeks of intervention and follow-up at 8 weeks.
Objectives: Pulmonary disease is a common extraarticular manifestation of RA associated with increased morbidity and mortality. No current strategies exist for screening this at-risk population for parenchymal lung disease, including emphysema and interstitial lung disease (ILD).
Methods: RA patients without a diagnosis of ILD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease underwent prospective and comprehensive clinical, laboratory, functional and radiological evaluations.
Despite community college students experiencing food insecurity there has been a dearth of research conducted on the feasibility of providing a program designed to increase access to fruits and vegetables among community colleges. This study used a mixed methods sequential explanatory design to examine the feasibility of delivering an on-campus food distribution program (FDP) to community college students and to examine the association between FDP and food insecurity and dietary intake. The study also explored the student's experiences related to barriers and facilitators of program utilization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We evaluated exercise interventions for cognitive appraisal of chronic low back pain (cLBP) in an underserved population.
Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Back to Health Trial, showing yoga to be noninferior to physical therapy (PT) for pain and function outcomes among adults with cLBP (n = 320) recruited from primary care clinics with predominantly low-income patients. Participants were randomized to 12 weeks of yoga, PT, or education.
The purpose of this communication is to describe the Brighter Bites produce voucher program, and its implementation and utilization across Brighter Bites families in four cities in the U.S., during the COVID-19 pandemic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong-term data on maintenance of intervention effects of health promotion programs targeting fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake in children is lacking. We conducted a two-year follow-up of Brighter Bites, a school-based nutrition education and food co-op intervention found to be effective in increasing child intake of F&V. A one-group, pre-post evaluation design was used to assess the two-year post intervention impact of the program on child and parent dietary intake and home nutrition environment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We aimed to determine the real-world prevalence and investigate risk factors for rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related lung disease on chest computed tomography (CT) imaging. We also investigated the impact of RA-related lung disease on mortality.
Methods: We studied chest CT imaging abnormalities among RA patients.
Adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables is critical for healthy growth and development. Less is known about fruit and vegetable variety, with variation in operationalization of variety. This review aims to identify currently available evidence operationalizing fruit and vegetable (FV) variety through a scoping review to summarize, compare, and critically evaluate the operationalization of variety.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe publisher regrets that the two sections under the Results omitted inadvertently on the original published version of the above article.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis paper has two main aims: (1) to describe the design, implementation, and testing of a protocol to assess longitudinal changes in F&V plate waste conducted as part of a quasi-experimental study, (2) to provide baseline descriptive data on school demographics and study participants. This paper describes the protocol development and implementation, and presents baseline data of a longitudinal fruit and vegetable (F&V) plate waste study. The protocol was developed to determine the preliminary impact of Brighter Bites, a 16-week school-based nutrition intervention, on F&V wasted and nutrients wasted from school lunches.
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