Meals Enhancing Nutrition After Discharge: Findings from a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: After older adults experience episodes of poor health or are hospitalized, they may not return to premorbid or prehospitalization eating behaviors. Furthermore, poor nutrition increases hospital readmission risk, but evidence-based interventions addressing these risks are limited.

Objective: This pilot study's objective was to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial assessing a post-discharge home-delivered meal program's impact on older adults' nutritional intake and hospital readmissions and to assess patient acceptability and satisfaction with the program.

A randomized trial of a mailed intervention and self-scheduling to improve osteoporosis screening in postmenopausal women.

Guidelines recommend bone density screening with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in women 65 years or older, but <30% of eligible women undergo DXA testing. There is a need to identify a systematic, effective, and generalizable way to improve osteoporosis screening. A group randomized, controlled trial of women ≥65 years old with no DXA in the past 4 years, randomized to receive intervention materials (patient osteoporosis brochure and a letter explaining how to self-schedule a DXA scan) versus usual care (control) was undertaken.

Strategies for optimizing nutrition and weight reduction in physical therapy practice: the evidence.

Poor nutrition and obesity can directly lead to pathological conditions managed by physical therapists or negatively influence recovery from movement dysfunction. The physical therapist/client relationship provides an opportunity for screening for poor nutrition as well as recommending and supporting better nutrition practices by the clients under their care. As such, it is important for the physical therapy professional to understand optimal nutrition for healthy living and serve as a consultant for better nutrition for their clients.

Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: We undertook a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, crossover trial to test whether intake of artificial food colour and additives (AFCA) affected childhood behaviour.

Methods: 153 3-year-old and 144 8/9-year-old children were included in the study. The challenge drink contained sodium benzoate and one of two AFCA mixes (A or B) or a placebo mix.

Zinc status of women with low bone mineral density who receive calcium supplements.

We evaluated whether a daily high-dose calcium supplement perturbs the zinc status in 23 postmenopausal women (mean age: 63 yr) with low bone mineral density. Plasma and erythrocyte zinc concentrations, plasma bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BSAP) and 5'-nucleotidase activities, and urinary zinc and calcium excretion were determined first at the end of 4 wk of daily oral calcium (1200 mg) and were measured again at the end of the subsequent 4 wk of daily cosupplementation with calcium (1200 mg) and zinc (30 mg). Mean plasma and erythrocyte zinc concentrations after 4 wk of calcium alone were not significantly different from concentrations after cosupplementation of calcium and zinc.