Building and Advancing Coalition Capacity to Promote Health Equity: Insights from the Health Equity Collective's Approach to Addressing Social Determinants of Health.

This article presents the structure and function of the Health Equity Collective in developing a systemic approach to promoting health equity across the Greater Houston area. Grounded in Kania and Kramer's five phases of collective impact for coalition building, The Collective operationalizes its mission through its backbone team, steering committees, and eight workgroups; each has goals that mutually reinforce and advance its vision. To date, Phase I (generating ideas), Phase II (initiating action), and Phase III (organizing for impact) have been completed.

Folate intake and incidence of hypertension among American young adults: a 20-y follow-up study.

Background: Laboratory studies suggest that folate intake may decrease blood pressure (BP) through increasing nitric oxide synthesis in endothelial cells and/or reducing plasma homocysteine concentrations. However, human studies, particularly longitudinal data, are limited.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate whether dietary folate intake is associated with the 20-y incidence of hypertension.

Longitudinal association between animal and vegetable protein intake and obesity among men in the United States: the Chicago Western Electric Study.

Background: Literature on the association of protein intake with body weight is inconsistent. Little is known about the relation of long-term protein intake to obesity.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the association between protein intake and obesity.

Distribution of toenail selenium levels in young adult Caucasians and African Americans in the United States: the CARDIA Trace Element Study.

Background: Data on selenium (Se) levels in American young adults, especially in African Americans, are lacking.

Objective: This study presented toenail Se distributions in American young adults of both genders, including both Caucasians and African Americans; and explored potential predictors of toenail Se levels.

Data And Methods: Data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study among 4252 American young adults, aged 20-32 in 1987 was used to examine toenail Se levels by instrumental neutron-activation analysis.

Higher branched-chain amino acid intake is associated with a lower prevalence of being overweight or obese in middle-aged East Asian and Western adults.

Beneficial effects on body weight of supplementation with BCAA, including leucine, isoleucine, and valine, have been observed in animal and human studies. However, population-based studies on dietary BCAA intake and body weight are lacking. The objective of this study was to examine the association between dietary BCAA intake and risk of overweight status/obesity among multi-ethnic populations.

A meta-analysis of the effect of soy protein supplementation on serum lipids.

Hypercholesterolemia is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Some, but not all, studies have shown that soy protein intake decreases total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides and increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The objective of this meta-analysis was to examine the effect of soy protein supplementation on serum lipid levels in adults.