Implications of supermarket access, neighbourhood walkability and poverty rates for diabetes risk in an employee population.

Objective: Diabetes is a growing public health problem, and the environment in which people live and work may affect diabetes risk. The goal of the present study was to examine the association between multiple aspects of environment and diabetes risk in an employee population.

Design: This was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis.

Factors influencing the implementation of school wellness policies in the United States, 2009.

Introduction: The quality of school wellness policy implementation varies among schools in the United States. The objective of this study was to characterize the school wellness policy environment nationally and identify factors influencing the quality and effectiveness of policy implementation.

Methods: We invited school administrators from 300 high schools to complete a questionnaire; 112 administrators responded.

The quality of school wellness policies and energy-balance behaviors of adolescent mothers.

Introduction: In this study, we 1) compared the quality of school wellness policies among schools participating in Moms for a Healthy Balance (BALANCE), a school- and home-based weight loss study conducted with postpartum adolescents in 27 states; and 2) assessed the relationship between policy quality with energy-balance behaviors and body mass index z scores of postpartum adolescents.

Methods: As a part of BALANCE, we collected data on high-calorie food and beverage consumption, minutes spent walking, and height and weight for 647 participants. The School Wellness Policy Coding Tool was used to assess the strength and comprehensiveness of school district wellness policies from 251 schools attended by participating adolescent mothers.

Postpartum teens' breakfast consumption is associated with snack and beverage intake and body mass index.

Addressing high-risk dietary patterns among postpartum teens may help reduce weight retention and prevent intergenerational obesity. The objective of this study was to describe the relationship between breakfast consumption and outcomes of snack and beverage intake and body mass index (BMI) among postpartum teens. During 2007-2009, 1,330 postpartum teens across 27 states participated in a cross-sectional, baseline assessment of a group-randomized, nested cohort study.

Parks promoting physical activity: synthesis of findings from interventions in seven national parks.

Background: We synthesized the results of 7 National Park Service pilot interventions designed to increase awareness of the health benefits from participation in recreation at national parks and to increase physical activity by park visitors.

Methods: A content analysis was conducted of the final evaluation reports of the 7 participating parks. Pooled data were also analyzed from a standardized trail-intercept survey administered in 3 parks.

The reliability of a questionnaire-based metabolic syndrome surveillance tool.

Background: The objectives of this study were to report measures of internal consistency and test-retest reliability for a proxy method of detecting the metabolic syndrome with a questionnaire-based Metabolic Syndrome Surveillance tool (Met-X StL).

Methods: The Met-X StL was constructed to obtain information concerning metabolic syndrome risk factors, and added to a population-based survey targeting rural, mid-western communities in three states with above average risk for chronic disease. Two to four weeks following individual completion of the survey, we re-administered the Met-X StL to a group of one-hundred randomly selected participants and assessed the tool for internal consistency and test-retest reliability.

Consumption of whole-grain cereals during weight loss: effects on dietary quality, dietary fiber, magnesium, vitamin B-6, and obesity.

Objective: While various weight-management approaches produce weight loss, they may differ in dietary quality. We monitored changes in nutrient intakes in overweight and obese subjects on three different weight-management programs.

Design: Randomized clinical trial (pilot study) with two 12-week phases: phase 1, weekly counseling; phase 2, monitoring only.