Ultra-processed food consumption and BMI-Z among children at risk for obesity from low-income households.

Objective: To evaluate the association between baseline ultra-processed food consumption in early childhood and child BMI Z-score over 36 months.

Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort analysis as a secondary data analysis of the Growing Right Onto Wellness randomised trial. Dietary intake was measured via 24-h diet recalls.

Reliability and validity of assigning ultraprocessed food categories to 24-h dietary recall data.

Background: The Nova classification system categorizes foods into 4 processing levels, including ultraprocessed foods (UPFs). Consumption of UPFs is extensive in the United States, and high UPF consumption is associated with chronic disease risk. A reliable and valid method to Nova-categorize foods would advance understanding of UPF consumption and its relationship to health outcomes.

Are mobile phone ownership and age of acquisition associated with child adjustment? A 5-year prospective study among low-income Latinx children.

This prospective, longitudinal study examined associations between whether and when children first acquire a mobile phone and their adjustment measures, among low-income Latinx children. Children (N = 263; 55% female; baseline M  = 9.5) and their parents were assessed annually for 5 years from 2012.

Packaging and Scaling the Stanford Pediatric Weight Control Program: A Family-Based, Group, Behavioral Weight Management Program for Children with Obesity and Their Families: Background, Rationale, and Design of the Stanford CORD 3.0 Project.

Efficacious treatments for children with obesity have not been broadly disseminated. The Stanford Pediatric Weight Control Program (SPWCP) is grounded in behavioral theory and prior observations, follows a proven treatment model, and is consistent with the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations. It has shown high levels of participation and retention and reductions in BMI and percent of median BMI for age and sex comparable to many studied programs, as well as improvements in physiological risk factors, psychological measures, and diet, activity, and screen time behaviors in children with obesity when delivered as a real-world clinical program with sociodemographically diverse families in multiple clinic and community settings.

A community-based, multi-level, multi-setting, multi-component intervention to reduce weight gain among low socioeconomic status Latinx children with overweight or obesity: The Stanford GOALS randomised controlled trial.

Background: There are few long-term studies of interventions to reduce in low socioeconomic status children with overweight or obesity. The Stanford GOALS trial evaluated a 3-year, community-based, multi-level, multi-setting, multi-component (MMM) systems intervention, to reduce weight gain among low socioeconomic status, Latinx children with overweight or obesity.

Methods: We did a two-arm, parallel group, randomised, open-label, active placebo-controlled trial with masked assessment over 3 years.

Dietary patterns and associations with BMI in low-income, ethnic minority youth in the USA according to baseline data from four randomised controlled trials.

Few studies have derived data-driven dietary patterns in youth in the USA. This study examined data-driven dietary patterns and their associations with BMI measures in predominantly low-income, racial/ethnic minority US youth. Data were from baseline assessments of the four Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research (COPTR) Consortium trials: NET-Works (534 2-4-year-olds), GROW (610 3-5-year-olds), GOALS (241 7-11-year-olds) and IMPACT (360 10-13-year-olds).

Applying the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy to Four Multicomponent Childhood Obesity Interventions.

Applying the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy has the potential to facilitate identification of effective childhood obesity intervention components. This article evaluates the feasibility of coding Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Consortium interventions and compares reliability between external taxonomy-familiar coders and internal intervention-familiar coders. After training, coder pairs independently coded prespecified portions of intervention materials.

Baseline diet quality of predominantly minority children and adolescents from households characterized by low socioeconomic status in the Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research (COPTR) Consortium.

Background: The Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) is a measure of diet quality that examines conformance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The objectives of this study were to estimate baseline diet quality of predominantly low-income minority children using the HEI-2010 and to identify the most important HEI components to target for dietary intervention.

Methods: Two or three baseline 24 h dietary recalls were collected in-person or over telephone between May 2012 and June 2014 from 1,745 children and adolescents from four randomized clinical trials in the Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research (COPTR) Consortium.

Recruitment strategies for predominantly low-income, multi-racial/ethnic children and parents to 3-year community-based intervention trials: Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research (COPTR) Consortium.

Background: The recruitment of participants into community-based randomized controlled trials studying childhood obesity is often challenging, especially from low-income racial/ethnical minorities and when long-term participant commitments are required. This paper describes strategies used to recruit and enroll predominately low-income racial/ethnic minority parents and children into the Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research (COPTR) consortium.

Methods: The COPTR consortium has run four independent 3-year, multi-level (individual, family, school, clinic, and community) community-based randomized controlled trials.

Snacking characteristics and patterns and their associations with diet quality and BMI in the Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research Consortium.

Objective: To describe snacking characteristics and patterns in children and examine associations with diet quality and BMI.

Design: Children's weight and height were measured. Participants/adult proxies completed multiple 24 h dietary recalls.

Beyond the dinner table: who's having breakfast, lunch and dinner family meals and which meals are associated with better diet quality and BMI in pre-school children?

Objective: Having frequent family dinners is associated with better diet quality in children; however, it is unknown whether the frequency of certain family meal types (i.e. dinner) is more strongly associated with better child weight and diet quality compared with other meal types (i.

Deconstructing interventions: approaches to studying behavior change techniques across obesity interventions.

Deconstructing interventions into the specific techniques that are used to change behavior represents a new frontier in behavioral intervention research. This paper considers opportunities and challenges in employing the Behavior Change Techniques Taxonomy (BCTTv1) developed by Michie and colleagues, to code the behavior change techniques (BCTs) across multiple interventions addressing obesity and capture dose received at the technique level. Numerous advantages were recognized for using a shared framework for intervention description.

Effects of Varying Epoch Lengths, Wear Time Algorithms, and Activity Cut-Points on Estimates of Child Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity from Accelerometer Data.

Objective: To examine the effects of accelerometer epoch lengths, wear time (WT) algorithms, and activity cut-points on estimates of WT, sedentary behavior (SB), and physical activity (PA).

Methods: 268 7-11 year-olds with BMI ≥ 85th percentile for age and sex wore accelerometers on their right hips for 4-7 days. Data were processed and analyzed at epoch lengths of 1-, 5-, 10-, 15-, 30-, and 60-seconds.

Environmental strategies for portion control in children.

Evidence from laboratory and field studies indicates that large portions lead to greater food and energy intake relative to small portions. However, most children and adults demonstrate limited abilities to estimate and control the amounts of food they serve and consume. Five potential environmental strategies appear promising for improving portion control in children: (1) using tall, thin, and small volume glasses and mugs, (2) using smaller diameter and volume plates, bowls and serving utensils, (3) using plates with rims, (4) reducing total television and other screen watching and (5) reducing or eliminating eating while watching television and/or other screens.

Family, community and clinic collaboration to treat overweight and obese children: Stanford GOALS-A randomized controlled trial of a three-year, multi-component, multi-level, multi-setting intervention.

Objective: To test the effects of a three-year, community-based, multi-component, multi-level, multi-setting (MMM) approach for treating overweight and obese children.

Design: Two-arm, parallel group, randomized controlled trial with measures at baseline, 12, 24, and 36 months after randomization.

Participants: Seven through eleven year old, overweight and obese children (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) and their parents/caregivers recruited from community locations in low-income, primarily Latino neighborhoods in Northern California.

A randomized controlled trial of culturally tailored dance and reducing screen time to prevent weight gain in low-income African American girls: Stanford GEMS.

Objective: To test a 2-year community- and family-based obesity prevention program for low-income African American girls: Stanford GEMS (Girls' health Enrichment Multi-site Studies).

Design: Randomized controlled trial with follow-up measures scheduled at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months.

Setting: Low-income areas of Oakland, California.

A right to health: medicine as Western cultural imperialism?

Western medicine is intrinsically tied with modern Western culture, and as such is foreign to many African cultures. Relying on personal observations from working in Angola as a physiotherapist as well as secondary research, the author explores the divide between Angolan culture and medical practices which are deeply rooted in scientific research. Most strikingly, the author finds that concepts of evidence-based medicine as well as individual human or patients' rights contain aspects foreign to Angolan culture.

Effects of fast food branding on young children's taste preferences.

Objective: To examine the effects of cumulative, real-world marketing and brand exposures on young children by testing the influence of branding from a heavily marketed source on taste preferences.

Design: Experimental study. Children tasted 5 pairs of identical foods and beverages in packaging from McDonald's and matched but unbranded packaging and were asked to indicate if they tasted the same or if one tasted better.

Stanford GEMS phase 2 obesity prevention trial for low-income African-American girls: design and sample baseline characteristics.

Objective: African-American girls and women are at high risk of obesity and its associated morbidities. Few studies have tested obesity prevention strategies specifically designed for African-American girls. This report describes the design and baseline findings of the Stanford GEMS (Girls health Enrichment Multi-site Studies) trial to test the effect of a two-year community- and family-based intervention to reduce weight gain in low-income, pre-adolescent African-American girls.

Do Mexican-American mothers' food-related parenting practices influence their children's weight and dietary intake?

Food-related parenting attitudes are thought to influence children's dietary intake and weight. The objective of this study was to examine the associations between mothers' reports of food-related parenting and children's dietary intake and body mass index (BMI). A sample of 108 Mexican-American fifth-grade children and their mothers were surveyed.

Relationship between physical activity and diet among African-American girls.

Objective: To examine the cross-sectional relationships between physical activity and dietary behaviors among 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls.

Research Methods And Procedures: Two hundred ten 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls from four field centers participated. Computer Science and Applications (CSA) activity monitors were worn for 3 days.

Covariability in diet and physical activity in African-American girls.

Objective: Our goal was to examine 12-week covariability in diet and physical activity changes among 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls and if these changes predicted percent change in BMI.

Research Methods And Procedures: Covariability among percent changes [(post - pre)/pre x 100] in nutrients, food groups, and physical activity was assessed among 127 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls. Pearson correlation and hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed.

African-American girls' dietary intake while watching television.

Objective: Television viewing has been associated with childhood obesity, although the mechanisms that link television viewing to higher BMI have not been established. Therefore, our objectives, in this report, were to describe the amount and types of foods that African-American girls consume while watching television and to examine the associations between African-American girls' BMI and the food they consume while watching television.

Research Methods And Procedures: Data were collected from 210 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls at four field centers by trained and certified nutritionists.

Children's food consumption during television viewing.

Background: Television viewing is associated with childhood obesity. Eating during viewing and eating highly advertised foods are 2 of the hypothesized mechanisms through which television is thought to affect children's weight.

Objectives: Our objectives were to describe the amounts and types of foods that children consume while watching television, compare those types with the types consumed at other times of the day, and examine the associations between children's body mass index (BMI) and the amounts and types of foods consumed during television viewing.

Validity and reliability of a behavior-based food coding system for measuring fruit, 100% fruit juice, vegetable, and sweetened beverage consumption: results from the Girls Health Enrichment Multisite Studies.

Background: This paper presents the rationale, reliability, and validity of a behavior-based food coding system for measuring fruit (F), juice (J), vegetable (V), sweetened beverage, and water consumption in children.

Methods: Coding algorithms for FJV, sweetened beverages, and water were developed for use with the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R). Two hundred and ten 8- to 10-year-old African American girls at four field centers completed two 24-h dietary recalls at baseline and at 12 weeks follow-up after a weight gain prevention intervention.