Publications by authors named "Andraea Van Hulst"

Objectives: Early prevention strategies are needed to mitigate the high risk of cardiovascular disease in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Residential neighbourhood features can promote healthy lifestyle behaviours and reduce cardiovascular risk, but less is known about their role in lifestyle behaviours in adolescents with T1D, and no studies used comparisons to healthy controls.

Methods: We examined associations between residential neighbourhood features and lifestyle behaviours in adolescents with T1D and healthy controls.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study aimed to investigate the links between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and early signs of heart disease in adolescents with and without type 1 diabetes.
  • The research involved 197 participants (100 with type 1 diabetes and 97 healthy) ages 14-18, measuring various heart health indicators and physical activity levels using accelerometers and questionnaires.
  • Results showed that increased physical activity positively affected heart health in both groups, but healthy control adolescents benefited more, while those with type 1 diabetes needed better blood sugar control to gain similar benefits.
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Family-based obesity management interventions targeting child, adolescent and parental lifestyle behaviour modifications have shown promising results. Further intervening on the family system may lead to greater improvements in obesity management outcomes due to the broader focus on family patterns and dynamics that shape behaviours and health. This review aimed to summarize the scope of pediatric obesity management interventions informed by family systems theory (FST).

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Few longitudinal studies have investigated the role of weight-loss attempts or weight-related stress on body image during childhood. We examined whether weight-loss attempts and weight-related stress are associated with weight misperception and body dissatisfaction across childhood and adolescence. Data were drawn from the Quebec Adipose and Lifestyle InvesTigation in Youth (QUALITY) cohort of Canadian children with parental obesity (8-10 years:  = 630; 10-12 years:  = 564; 15-17 years:  = 377).

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The aim of this study was to examine associations of childhood physical activity, sedentary behavior, and dietary intake with adiposity trajectories from childhood to adolescence. Quebec Adipose and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth (QUALITY) cohort ( = 630) data from 3 time points (8-10, 10-12, and 15-17 years) for 377 Caucasian children with parental obesity were analyzed. Height and weight, physical activity and sedentary behavior (7-day accelerometry), screen time (self-reported), and dietary intake (three 24-hour diet recalls) were measured.

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Among migrant and socioeconomically disadvantaged preschool-aged children followed in social perinatal primary care services in Montreal, Canada, we estimated the prevalence of overweight/obesity and identified determinants of body mass index z-score (zBMI) at 4-5 years old. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using electronic medical records of 275 child-mother dyads followed from birth to 4-5 years. Anthropometric measures and established maternal, perinatal and child risk factors for childhood obesity were examined.

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Background: The longitudinal relation between parenting practices and styles with children's body mass index z-scores (zBMI) is poorly understood. Previous studies suggest the relationship may be complex, but small samples and short follow-ups diminish the strength of the evidence. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether the relationship is bidirectional, time-varying, and lagged using data from a large, representative birth cohort of Quebec children.

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Objective: Disorganised and chaotic home environments may hinder the adoption of healthy lifestyle behaviours and contribute to excessive weight gain among adolescents. We examined whether self-reported level of chaos within the family home environment is associated with lifestyle behaviours and obesity in adolescent girls and boys.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from the 3rd wave of the Québec Adipose and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth (QUALITY) study were analyzed.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how physical activity and sedentary behavior affects the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in children, focusing on those with a family history of obesity.
  • It utilized data from the QUALITY cohort involving children aged 8-17, measuring physical activity and screen time over multiple evaluations to assess their impact on diabetes-related health markers.
  • The findings indicated that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity had positive effects on insulin sensitivity and negative effects on insulin secretion, suggesting lifestyle factors play a significant role in diabetes risk.
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Background: Migrant women with young children, including asylum seekers and refugees, have multiple vulnerability factors that put them at increased risk of social isolation and loneliness, which are associated with negative health outcomes. This study explored the experiences of social isolation and loneliness among migrant mothers with children aged 0-5 years as well as their perceptions on possible health impacts.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at La Maison Bleue, a non-profit organization providing perinatal health and social services to vulnerable women in Montreal, Canada.

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Background: The suitability of geospatial services for auditing neighbourhood features relevant to pediatric obesity remains largely unexplored. Our objectives were to (i) establish the measurement properties of a desk-based audit instrument that uses Google Street View to assess street- and neighbourhood-level features relevant to pediatric obesity (QUALITY-NHOOD tool, the test method) and (ii) comment on its capacity to detect changes in the built environment over an 8-year period. In order to do so, we compared this tool with an on-site auditing instrument (the reference method).

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Background: Impaired family functioning has been associated with obesity in children and adolescents, but few longitudinal studies exist. We examined whether family functioning from early to mid-childhood is associated with overweight and obesity in later childhood and adolescence.

Methods: We examined data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), a birth cohort (N = 2120), collected between 1998 and 2011.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study examined how children transition between normal glucose tolerance and dysglycemia, particularly focusing on factors affecting this change from childhood to late adolescence in a sample of White Canadian children with obesity in their families.
  • - It found that 21% of children who had normal glucose levels initially developed dysglycemia, while a significant proportion (up to 75%) of those with dysglycemia reverted to normal glucose tolerance during puberty.
  • - Key predictors for developing dysglycemia were higher fasting and 2-hour glucose levels, with no significant demographic or lifestyle factors linked to increased risk, while beta-cell function notably decreased in children with excess weight.
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Objectives: Obesity is the most prevalent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in children. We developed a 2-year lifestyle intervention for youth at risk of CVD. We assessed changes in body mass index z-scores (zBMI) and key cardiometabolic risk factors, physical fitness, and capacity among those who completed the program.

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There are few known determinants of sedentary behaviour (SB) in children. We generated and compared profiles associated with risk of excess SB among children ( = 294) both at 8-10 and 10-12 years of age (Visits 1 and 2, respectively), using data from the QUebec Adipose and Lifestyle InvesTigation in Youth. Excess SB was measured by accelerometry and defined as >50% of total wear time at <100 counts/minutes.

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Background/objectives: Neighborhoods are complex, multidimensional systems. However, the interrelation between multiple neighborhood dimensions is seldom considered in relation to youth adiposity. We created a neighborhood typology using a range of built environment features and examined its association with adiposity in youth.

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Introduction: Little is known regarding associations between potentially modifiable lifestyle habits and early markers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in pediatric type 1 diabetes (T1D), hindering early prevention efforts. Specific objectives are: (1) compare established risk factors (dyslipidemia, hypertension) with novel early markers for CVD (cardiac phenotype, aortic distensibility, endothelial function) in adolescents with T1D and healthy age-matched and sex-matched controls; (2) examine associations between these novel early markers with: (i) lifestyle habits; (ii) adipokines and measures of inflammation; and (iii) markers of oxidative stress among adolescents with T1D and controls, and determine group differences in these associations; (3) explore, across both groups, associations between CVD markers and residential neighbourhood features.

Methods And Analyses: Using a cross-sectional design, we will compare 100 participants aged 14-18 years with T1D to 100 healthy controls.

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Objectives: To confirm that World Health Organization weight-for-length z scores (zWFL) and World Health Organization body mass index z scores (zBMI) in infancy are associated with adiposity and cardiometabolic measures at 8-10 years old and to compare the predictive ability of the 2 methods.

Study Design: zWFL and zBMI at 6, 12, and 18 months of age were computed using data extracted from health booklets, among participants in the Québec Adipose and Lifestyle InvesTigation in Youth prospective cohort (n = 464). Outcome measures at 8-10 years included adiposity, lipid profile, blood pressure, and insulin dynamics.

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Weight-related behaviors are determined by multiple individual and contextual factors, with recent evidence implicating personal social networks (PSNs). Greater understanding of these relationships could help inform healthy weight promoting interventions. We conducted a feasibility study among youth at risk of obesity to document process outcomes, to discern relationships between PSN features and weight-related behaviors, and to generate hypotheses with respect to perceived social support (SS) and sex.

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Introduction: Attrition in pediatric weight management programs is notoriously high. Greater understanding of its determinants is needed to inform retention strategies. We identified determinants of attrition in CIRCUIT, a healthy lifestyle intervention program for youth at risk of cardiovascular disease.

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Objective: Weight loss attempts occur as early as childhood. The impacts of weight loss attempts and weight-related stress on the occurrence of obesity during childhood remain unknown. We aimed to: (a) assess the prevalence of self-reported weight loss attempts and weight-related stress in 8-10 year-old children and (b) determine associations with adiposity 2 years later.

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Although several studies have focused on associations between breastfeeding and child obesity, few have focused on associations with dietary intake. We examined associations between breastfeeding duration in infancy and dietary intake in childhood and explored whether associations are still observed in adolescence. The QUALITY (QUebec Adipose and Lifestyle InvesTigation in Youth) cohort includes 630 children aged 8-10 years at baseline (T1) who have at least one parent with obesity.

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Background: The 24-hour movement guidelines provide recommendations for physical activity, screen time and sleep duration for children.

Objectives: Describe adherence to the guidelines and their cross-sectional and longitudinal associations with adiposity from childhood to adolescence.

Methods: Data are from the QUALITY Cohort.

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