Sleep problems in urban, minority, early-school-aged children more prevalent than previously recognized.

Objectives: To use the children's sleep habits questionnaire (CSHQ) to characterize sleep problems in a group of 5- to 6-year-old minority children living in urban communities and to compare our findings with data from 5- to 6-year-old children in the original CSHQ validation study.

Methods: A cross-sectional study design was used to collect sleep data from parents using the CSHQ.

Results: The CSHQ was completed by 160 parents; 150 (94%) scored ≥41, indicating a sleep problem.

Patterns of moderate and vigorous physical activity in obese and overweight compared with non-overweight children.

Objective: We determined whether overweight and obese children performed less combined moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA), less vigorous physical activity (VPA) alone, and had distinct patterns of sustained MVPA or VPA compared with non-overweight children.

Methods: We monitored 106 children (aged 8 to 10 years) for 7 consecutive days using accelerometers. Differences in mean daily MVPA and VPA were assessed by comparing non-overweight (NOW) with overweight and obese (OW/OB) participants using descriptive statistics and regression analysis.

Do self- or parent-reported dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors predict worsening obesity in children?

Objective: To determine whether information gathered during routine healthcare visits regarding obesity related risk factors and risk behaviors predicts increases in BMI z-score over time among overweight and obese children.

Study Design: Medical records from 168 overweight and 441 obese patients seen for repeated visits between September 2003 and April 2006 were examined for reported dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors, family history of obesity and diabetes mellitus, documented Acanthosis nigricans, and BMI values. Random-effects regression analysis was done to determine whether demographic, familial, or behavioral data predicted changes in BMI z-score over time.

Greater lean tissue and skeletal muscle mass are associated with higher bone mineral content in children.

Background: To compare the relationship of skeletal muscle mass with bone mineral content in an ethnically diverse group of 6 to 18 year old boys and girls.

Methods: 175 healthy children (103 boys; 72 girls) had assessments of body mass, height, and Tanner stage. Whole body bone mineral content, non-bone lean body mass (nbLBM), skeletal muscle mass, and fat mass were assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Applying practice recommendations for the prevention and treatment of obesity in children and adolescents.

To describe pediatric clinicians' adherence to practice recommendations for obesity prevention and treatment, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 227 medical records of 3- to 18-year-old patients (seen from September 2003 to April 2004) and a longitudinal analysis of data from 632 overweight and obese patients (followed through March 2006). The cross-sectional analysis showed that early practice adopters (n = 3) more frequently recorded BMI (91% of patients), a diagnosis (89%), and counseling (82%) compared with late adopters (n = 9; 34%, 51%, and 48% of patients, respectively; P < .001).

An algorithm for identifying physical activity patterns from motion data.

An algorithm was developed to describe how physical activity (PA) patterns relate to overall motion counts. Thirty-five children wore an accelerometer (7-days). Each motion count was compared with the mean of surrounding counts within 21 min.

Diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of childhood obesity in pediatric practice.

Objective: To determine rates of diagnosis and treatment, and types of treatment, among overweight children in clinical practice.

Design: Six hundred randomly selected records were reviewed.

Setting: Two community-based and 2 hospital-based clinics in New Haven.