Risk factors for falls among boys under 18 years with muscular dystrophy.

Purpose: Studies have shown that children with muscular dystrophy are at increased risk for falls, however there is insufficient information about what predicts the first and subsequent events. The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of injury with emphasis on identifying risk factors for fall-related injuries.

Methods: We studied 269 boys with muscular dystrophy describing their injury experience and identifying risk and protective factors associated with 281 non-simultaneous injuries and 127 falls that resulted in Emergency Department visits and/or inpatient hospitalization during the period 1998-2014.

Fourth-grade children's dietary reporting accuracy by meal component: Results from a validation study that manipulated retention interval and prompts.

We examined reporting accuracy by meal component (beverage, bread, breakfast meat, combination entrée, condiment, dessert, entrée, fruit, vegetable) with validation-study data on 455 fourth-grade children (mean age = 9.92 ± 0.41 years) observed eating school meals and randomized to one of eight dietary recall conditions (two retention intervals [short, long] crossed with four prompts [forward, meal-name, open, reverse]).

Fourth-Grade Children's Reporting Accuracy for Amounts Eaten at School-Provided Meals: Insight from a Reporting-Error-Sensitive Analytic Approach Applied to Validation Study Data.

Background: Validation studies that have directly assessed reporting accuracy for amounts eaten have provided results in various ways.

Objective: To analyze amount categories of a reporting-error-sensitive approach for insight concerning reporting accuracy for amounts eaten.

Design: For a cross-sectional validation study, children were observed eating school-provided breakfast and lunch, and randomized to one of eight 24-hour recall conditions (two retention intervals [short and long] crossed with four prompts [forward, meal name, open, and reverse]).

Children's school-breakfast reports and school-lunch reports (in 24-h dietary recalls): conventional and reporting-error-sensitive measures show inconsistent accuracy results for retention interval and breakfast location.

Validation-study data were analysed to investigate retention interval (RI) and prompt effects on the accuracy of fourth-grade children's reports of school-breakfast and school-lunch (in 24-h recalls), and the accuracy of school-breakfast reports by breakfast location (classroom; cafeteria). Randomly selected fourth-grade children at ten schools in four districts were observed eating school-provided breakfast and lunch, and were interviewed under one of eight conditions created by crossing two RIs ('short'--prior-24-hour recall obtained in the afternoon and 'long'--previous-day recall obtained in the morning) with four prompts ('forward'--distant to recent, 'meal name'--breakfast, etc., 'open'--no instructions, and 'reverse'--recent to distant).

Test-Retest Reliability of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey's 5-Item Food Insecurity Questionnaire Completed by Fourth-Grade Children.

Objective: To examine test-retest reliability and internal consistency of a 5-item food insecurity questionnaire used in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Methods: Researchers administered NHANES's questionnaire in the classroom to 92 fourth-grade children (74 African American; 48 girls) in 2 sessions 27-30 days apart in spring, 2011. Each classroom administration lasted 5-10 minutes.

Skin Ulcers and Mortality Among Adolescents and Young Adults With Spina Bifida in South Carolina During 2000-2010.

The authors investigated 48 deaths (7% death rate) among 690 adolescents and young adults with spina bifida in South Carolina during 2000-2010. The authors used Medicaid and other administrative data and a retrospective cohort design that included people with spina bifida identified using ICD-9 codes. Cox regression models with time-dependent and time-invariant covariates, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were constructed.

Effectiveness of Prompts on Fourth-Grade Children's Dietary Recall Accuracy Depends on Retention Interval and Varies by Gender.

Background: Dietary recall accuracy is related to retention interval (RI) (i.e., time between to-be-reported meals and the interview), and possibly to prompts.

Emergency department and inpatient hospitalizations for young people with fragile X syndrome.

We compared hospital encounters between adolescents and young adults with fragile X syndrome (FXS) to peers with intellectual disability (ID) from other causes, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and a comparison group without these conditions matched by gender, age, and insurance coverage. Those with FXS, ASD, or ID were more likely to have had hospital encounters. In terms of age groups, we found mental illness hospitalizations decreased during adulthood as compared to adolescence for those with FXS, and we found that for conditions unrelated to FXS (e.

Children's Social Desirability: Effects of Test Assessment Mode.

This study examined a recently developed short version of the Children's Social Desirability (CSD-S) scale with 157 fourth-grade children. Of interest was a) whether one-month test-retest reliability would vary as a function of test assessment mode (interview or classroom), gender, race, SES, and BMI percentile, and b) whether the degree of social desirability would vary as a function of these same variables. The CSD-S scale showed good test-retest reliability for both interview and classroom assessment modes (.

Hospitalizations and emergency room visits for adolescents and young adults with muscular dystrophy living in South Carolina.

Introduction: Transitioning from adolescence to adulthood can be problematic for individuals with rare disabilities such as muscular dystrophy (MD).

Methods: We identified a cohort of 220 individuals with MD and 440 matched comparison individuals and measured emergency room (ER) and inpatient (IP) encounters for the years 2000 through 2010, using all-payer hospital discharge uniform billing data. We compared ER and IP use rates for people with and without MD, and for 15-19-year-olds with MD to 20-24-year-olds with MD.

Development of a tool to describe overall health, social independence and activity limitation of adolescents and young adults with disability.

There is a need for research that focuses on the correlation between self-perceived quality of life (QoL) and the health outcomes of adolescents with disability transitioning to adulthood. To better understand the transition experience of adolescents and young adults with disability, we developed a questionnaire to assess the impact of disability on QoL. We recruited 174 participants who were 15-24 years old and diagnosed with Fragile X syndrome (FXS), spina bifida (SB) or muscular dystrophy (MD) and conducted an exploratory factor analysis to identify factors that characterize QoL.

Inpatient and emergency room visits for adolescents and young adults with spina bifida living in South Carolina.

Objective: To compare emergency room (ER) and inpatient hospital (IP) use rates for persons with spina bifida (SB) to peers without SB, when transition from pediatric to adult health care is likely to occur; and to analyze those ER and IP rates by age, race, socioeconomic status, gender, and type of residential area.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Secondary data analysis in South Carolina.

Disparities in health care utilization by race among teenagers and young adults with muscular dystrophy.

Background: For people with muscular dystrophy (MD) health care access is crucial and utilization is expected to be high. A multidisciplinary approach is needed for optimal management of symptoms of this rare condition. Regular primary care, specialty care, therapy, and medicine use can improve quality of care and reduce need for emergency treatment and hospitalization.

Misclassification of fourth-grade children's participation in school-provided meals based on parental responses relative to administrative daily records.

Although many studies have relied on parental responses concerning children's school-meal participation, few studies have evaluated parental response accuracy. We investigated misclassification of fourth-grade children's participation in school-meal programs based on parental responses relative to administrative daily records using cross-sectional study data collected for 3 school years (2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07) for 1,100 fourth-grade children (87% black; 52% girls) from 18 schools total in one district. Parents reported children's usual school-meal participation on paper consent forms.

A validation study concerning the effects of interview content, retention interval, and grade on children's recall accuracy for dietary intake and/or physical activity.

Background: Practitioners and researchers are interested in assessing children's dietary intake and physical activity together to maximize resources and minimize subject burden.

Objective: Our aim was to investigate differences in dietary and/or physical activity recall accuracy by content (diet only; physical activity only; diet and physical activity), retention interval (same-day recalls in the afternoon; previous-day recalls in the morning), and grade (third; fifth).

Design: Children (n=144; 66% African American, 13% white, 12% Hispanic, 9% other; 50% girls) from four schools were randomly selected for interviews about one of three contents.

Test-retest reliability of a short form of the children's social desirability scale for nutrition and health-related research.

Objective: To examine test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the Children's Social Desirability Short (CSD-S) scale, consisting of 14 items from the Children's Social Desirability scale.

Methods: The previously validated CSD-S scale was classroom administered to 97 fourth-grade children (80% African American; 76% low socioeconomic status) in 2 sessions a month apart. Each classroom administration lasted approximately 5 minutes.

A pilot study of the effects of interview content, retention interval, and grade on accuracy of dietary information from children.

Objective: Investigate differences in dietary recall accuracy by interview content (diet only or diet and physical activity), retention interval (same day or previous day), and grade (third or fifth).

Methods: Thirty-two children observed eating school-provided meals and interviewed once each; interview content and retention interval randomly assigned. Multivariate analysis of variance on rates for omissions (foods observed but unreported) and intrusions (foods reported but unobserved); independent variables: interview content, retention interval, grade.

There is no relationship between academic achievement and body mass index among fourth-grade, predominantly African-American children.

School-based initiatives to combat childhood obesity may use academic performance to measure success. This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between academic achievement and body mass index percentile, socioeconomic status (SES), and race by linking existing datasets that are not routinely linked. Data from a school-based project (with National Institutes of Health funding) concerning dietary recall accuracy were linked with data from the state's Department of Education through the state's Office of Research and Statistics.

Explaining the positive relationship between fourth-grade children's body mass index and energy intake at school-provided meals (breakfast and lunch).

Background: A 2010 publication showed a positive relationship between children's body mass index (BMI) and energy intake at school-provided meals (as assessed by direct meal observations). To help explain that relationship, we investigated 7 outcome variables concerning aspects of school-provided meals: energy content of items selected, number of meal components selected, number of meal components eaten, amounts eaten of standardized school-meal portions, energy intake from flavored milk, energy intake received in trades, and energy content given in trades.

Methods: Fourth-grade children (N = 465) from Columbia, SC, were observed eating school-provided breakfast and lunch on 1 to 4 days per child.

Secondary analyses of data from 4 studies with fourth-grade children show that sex, race, amounts eaten of standardized portions, and energy content given in trades explain the positive relationship between body mass index and energy intake at school-provided meals.

Results from a 2012 article showed a positive relationship between children's body mass index (BMI) and energy intake at school-provided meals. To help explain that positive relationship, secondary analyses investigated (1) whether the relationship differed by sex and race and (2) the relationship between BMI and 6 aspects of school-provided meals--amounts eaten of standardized portions, energy content given in trades, energy intake received in trades, energy intake from flavored milk, energy intake from a la carte ice cream, and breakfast type. Data were from 4 studies conducted 1 per school year (1999-2000 to 2002-2003).

Nonsignificant relationship between participation in school-provided meals and body mass index during the fourth-grade school year.

Data from four cross-sectional studies involving fourth-grade children were analyzed to investigate the relationship between participation in school-provided meals and body mass index (BMI), and the effect observed energy intake has on that relationship. Participation and BMI data were available on 1,535 children (51% black; 51% girls) for 4 school years (fall 1999 to spring 2003; one study per school year) at 13 schools total. Direct meal observations were available for a subset of 342 children (54% black; 50% girls) for one to three breakfasts and one to three lunches per child for a total of 1,264 school meals (50% breakfast).

How accurate are parental responses concerning their fourth-grade children's school-meal participation, and what is the relationship between children's body mass index and school-meal participation based on parental responses?

Background: This article investigated (1) parental response accuracy of fourth-grade children's school-meal participation and whether accuracy differed by children's body mass index (BMI), sex, and race, and (2) the relationship between BMI and school-meal participation (based on parental responses).

Methods: Data were from four cross-sectional studies conducted from fall 1999 to spring 2003 with fourth-grade children from 13 schools total. Consent forms asked parents to report children's usual school-meal participation.

Validity of hospital discharge data for identifying cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Inpatient hospital encounters and emergency department visits were examined to identify cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).The ninth edition of the International Classification of Disease, clinical modification (ICD-9-CM) for ALS was confirmed for ALS was confirmed in 93% of inpatient discharges and in 91% of emergency department visits by the diagnostic standard (chart review). Yearly prevalence rates ranged from 2.

Accuracy and usefulness of ICD-10 death certificate coding for the identification of patients with ALS: results from the South Carolina ALS Surveillance Pilot Project.

The purpose if this study was to investigate the positive predictive value and sensitivity of the ICD-10 code G12.2, which is used to identify patients who have possibly died from ALS. All patients with a motor neuron disease diagnosis code during the study period (2001-2005) were identified using administrative data.