Feasibility and acceptability pilot study of an online weight loss program in rural, underserved communities.

Background: The purpose of this intervention was to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of an online weight loss program, EMPOWER, in rural, underserved communities.

Methods: Adults with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m living in rural counties were recruited through collaboration with University of Illinois Extension. The intervention lasted 1 year including online educations sessions, nutrition and lifestyle coaching, and diet and weight monitoring a novel web application, MealPlot.

Associations Between Trauma and Health Behaviors and Outcomes Among Sexual Minoritized Adults: A Scoping Review.

Sexual minoritized (SM) adults experience health disparities and report higher rates of trauma history compared to heterosexual adults. This scoping review synthesizes the extant literature that investigates associations between trauma and physical health among SM adults. It also describes research instruments utilized to assess trauma in relation to health outcomes among SM adults.

Maternal Depressive Symptoms and Their Association with Breastfeeding and Child Weight Outcomes.

Children of mothers with depressive symptoms are at a higher risk for psychosocial, behavioral, and developmental problems. However, the effects of maternal depression on children's physical growth are not well understood. To address the gaps in the literature, this study examined the association between maternal depressive symptoms, breastfeeding behaviors, and child weight outcomes.

Feeding decision-making among first generation Latinas living in non-metropolitan and small metro areas.

Background: Worldwide, overweight and obesity rates have more than tripled over the past three decades. Overweight and obesity rates are particularly high among Latinos. In order to determine some of the potential reasons, it is imperative to investigate how first-generation Latina mothers living in non-metropolitan and small metro areas decide how and what to feed their children.

Productivity, impact, and collaboration differences between transdisciplinary and traditionally trained doctoral students: A comparison of publication patterns.

Transdisciplinary (TD) approaches are increasingly used to address complex public health problems such as childhood obesity. Compared to traditional grant-funded scientific projects among established scientists, those designed around a TD, team-based approach yielded greater publication output after three to five years. However, little is known about how a TD focus throughout graduate school training may affect students' publication-related productivity, impact, and collaboration.

Latino immigrants, depressive symptoms, and cognitive behavioral therapy: A systematic review.

Background: In order to address the needs of the growing Latino immigrant population, this study aimed to systematically review peer-reviewed articles of intervention studies that used cognitive behavioral therapy to treat depressive symptoms among Latino immigrants in the U.S.

Methods: We searched PsycINFO, PubMed, and Medline databases from January 1995 through July 2016 as part of a registered review protocol (PROSPERO) following PRISMA guidelines.

Feasibility and validity of a statistical adjustment to reduce self-report bias of height and weight in wave 1 of the Add Health study.

Background: Bias in adolescent self-reported height and weight is well documented. Given the importance and widespread use of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) data for obesity research, we developed and tested the feasibility and validity of an empirically derived statistical correction for self-report bias in wave 1 (W1) of Add Health, a large panel study in the United States.

Methods: Participants in grades 7-12 with complete height and weight data at W1 were included (n = 20,175).

Perceptions of early body image socialization in families: Exploring knowledge, beliefs, and strategies among mothers of preschoolers.

This study sought to explore parental perceptions of body image in preschoolers. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 primary caregivers of preschoolers to examine knowledge, beliefs, and strategies regarding early body image socialization in families. Thematic Analysis yielded three themes highlighting knowledge gaps, belief discrepancies, and limited awareness of strategies.

Eating, feeding, and feeling: emotional responsiveness mediates longitudinal associations between maternal binge eating, feeding practices, and child weight.

Background: Although it is known that maternal disordered eating is related to restrictive feeding practices, there is little research exploring mechanisms for this association or its effects on other feeding practices. The purpose of this study was to assess whether maternal emotion responses mediate the association between maternal binge eating (BE) and child feeding practices, in order to identify potential risk factors for feeding practices that influence child weight.

Methods: This longitudinal observational study included (n = 260) mothers and children from the STRONG Kids Panel Survey.

Family correlates of childhood binge eating: A systematic review.

Objective: Binge Eating Disorder is the most prevalent eating disorder in the US, and binge eating has been identified in children as young as five. As part of a larger registered systematic review, we identified family correlates of binge eating in children (C-BE) aged 12 and under.

Method: Using established guidelines, we searched PubMed and PsycInfo for peer-reviewed studies published in English between 1980 and April 2015 that examined family correlates and predictors of C-BE.

Parent binge eating and restrictive feeding practices: Indirect effects of parent's responses to child's negative emotion.

Objective: Parents' emotion regulation difficulties are related to binge eating (BE), and to responses to children's negative emotion. However, less is known about how responses to children's negative emotion are related to eating and feeding in the parenting context. We examined the degree to which BE had both direct and indirect effects on parental restrictive feeding practices, through parents' reported responses to negative emotion.

Health literacy and parent attitudes about weight control for children.

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between parental health literacy and parent attitudes about weight control strategies for young children. Parental low health literacy has been associated with poor child health outcomes, yet little is known about its relationship to child weight control and weight-related health information-seeking preferences. Data were drawn from the STRONG Kids Study, a Midwest panel survey among parents of preschool aged children (n = 497).

Sleep, but not other daily routines, mediates the association between maternal employment and BMI for preschool children.

Background: It has been established that the more time mothers spend working outside of the home, the more likely their preschool-aged children are to be overweight. However, the mechanisms explaining this relationship are not well understood. Our objective was to explore child sleep, dietary habits, TV time, and family mealtime routines as mediators of the relationship between maternal employment status (full-time, part-time, and no or minimal employment) and child body mass index (BMI) percentile.

Longitudinal Associations Between Immigrant Ethnic Density, Neighborhood Processes, and Latino Immigrant Youth Depression.

Depression rates rise in adolescence and the prevalence of depression is higher among Latino adolescents than other race/ethnic groups. Ethnic density among immigrant populations is associated with better health and mental health outcomes among adults, but little is known about its effects among adolescents or its mechanisms. This study examines the pathways by which immigrant density may affect mental health outcomes among Latino youth.

Obesity prevalence among youth investigated for maltreatment in the United States.

The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence and correlates of obesity among youth investigated for maltreatment in the United States. Participants were drawn from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II, a national probability study of 5,873 children aged birth to 17 years under investigation for maltreatment in 2008. From child weight reported by caregivers, we estimated obesity (weight-for-age ≥95th percentile) prevalence among children aged 2 through 17 (n=2,948).

Longitudinal predictors of dieting and disordered eating among young adults in the U.S.

Objective: To assess longitudinal associations between cognitive and behavioral characteristics in adolescence and dieting and eating pathology in young adulthood.

Method: Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health and multivariate logistic regressions were used to examine the unique and cumulative effects of adolescent behavior and cognition on four weight-related health indicators in young adulthood: dieting, extreme weight loss behaviors (EWLB), binge eating, and eating disorder (ED) diagnosis (N = 14,322).

Results: Early dieting, depression, and body image distortion (BID) prospectively predicted dieting or EWLB at Wave 3.

Employee use and perceived benefit of a complementary and alternative medicine wellness clinic at a major military hospital: evaluation of a pilot program.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine the feasibility of a weekly on-site complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) wellness clinic for staff at a military hospital, and to describe employees' perceptions of program effectiveness.

Setting: The study setting was the Restore & Renew(®) Wellness Clinic at a United States Department of Defense hospital.

Subjects: The subjects were hospital nurses, physicians, clinicians, support staff, and administrators.

Health literacy: critical opportunities for social work leadership in health care and research.

One-third of U.S. adults do not have adequate health literacy to manage their health care needs; and low health literacy is a major concern due to its association with poor health outcomes, high health care costs, and health communication problems.

Body image distortion and three types of weight loss behaviors among nonoverweight girls in the United States.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between body image distortion (BID) and onset of three types of weight loss behavior among nonoverweight girls in the United States.

Methods: Data were from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) (n = 20,745) and included 5,173 nonoverweight (body mass index [BMI] < 85th percentile) adolescent females aged 11-19 years who completed Wave I and II interviews. Actual and perceived weight statuses were compared to assess BID.