Development of water insecurity scale for rural households in Cameroon- Central Africa.

: Water represents the core of food-energy nexus and is vital for human survival. In developing countries, contaminated water and lack of basic water services undermine efforts to improve nutritional status and related health issues. In the rural areas of Central Africa, a majority of the population lacks access to improved water sources and has to devote considerable efforts to obtain water.

A qualitative study examining medical provider advice, barriers, and perceived effectiveness in addressing childhood obesity to patients and families from a low-income community health clinic.

Objective: To examine medical provider (n = 16) perceptions in addressing and managing pediatric obesity with a diverse, low-income patient population.

Methods: Semi-structured audio-recorded interviews were performed at three pediatric clinics. Transcripts were reviewed using content analysis and consensus was reached among authors for themes.

Beneficioso y Una Prioridad: Latina Women's Perceptions about HIV Testing.

Objectives: Studies indicate a higher rate of HIV infection among Latinos in the United States, and a pattern of later testing associated with poorer disease management, greater risk of spreading infection, and higher death rates. Thus, it is imperative to generate culturally holistic strategies to improve HIV testing among Latina women.

Methods: We surveyed 182 Latina women in the southeastern US.

Removing asthma triggers and improving children's health: The Asthma Partnership Demonstration project.

Background: Studies have revealed the efficacy of home-based environmental interventions on reduction of asthma symptoms as a strategy for managing asthma in children. A focus on education and behavior change alone is generally too limited to reduce exposure to asthma triggers that exist because of adverse housing conditions.

Objective: To demonstrate that housing conditions as a focus of a health intervention should be considered more widely as an effective means of addressing serious health problems such as asthma.

Impact of doulas on healthy birth outcomes.

Birth outcomes of two groups of socially disadvantaged mothers at risk for adverse birth outcomes, one receiving prebirth assistance from a certified doula and the other representing a sample of birthing mothers who elected to not work with a doula, were compared. All of the mothers were participants in a prenatal health and childbirth education program. Expectant mothers matched with a doula had better birth outcomes.

Diabetes knowledge among older adults with diabetes in Beijing, China.

Aims And Objectives: To explore the relationships of demographic and clinical variables and attendance at diabetes educational programmes with diabetes knowledge among a community sample of older Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes residing in Beijing.

Background: Knowledge of diabetes is an important component of diabetes self-management. Level of education, duration of diabetes, visits to a dietician and diabetes self-management are associated with diabetes knowledge.

A comparative assessment of early adult life status of graduates of the North Carolina adolescent parenting program.

Problem: What is the comparative impact of a second pregnancy prevention program for teen mothers on those who graduate from the program compared with a sample of young mothers of similar age and social circumstances who did not participate in the program?

Methods: Fifteen program graduates and 20 nonprogram cohorts were surveyed regarding a range of life domains.

Findings: Data indicated that program graduates were on a more positive life course: greater primary responsibility for housing and utilities, greater higher education enrollment, more job stability, and greater focus on career goals.

Conclusion: The differences demonstrate the value of programs designed to assist teen mothers through the challenges of parenting and their own adolescent development.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the SF-36 in older adults with diabetes in Beijing, China.

Objective: This study investigated the psychometric properties of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) (China version) in older Chinese with diabetes living in Beijing, China.

Methods: The SF-36 was administered to community-based sample of 182 older adults with diabetes living in Beijing. Data collection was conducted in face-to-face interviews.

Maternal and infant characteristics associated with human milk feeding in very low birth weight infants.

This study identified maternal and infant characteristics predicting human milk (HM) feeding in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants whose mothers (n = 184) participated in a study of lactation counseling and initiated milk expression. Data were collected prospectively, by maternal interview and medical record review. During hospitalization, 159 (86%) infants received at least 50% HM proportion of feedings in the first 2 weeks of life, and 114 (62%) received some HM until the day of hospital discharge.

Using the family to combat childhood and adult obesity.

The purpose of this article is to emphasize the value of the family as a source of behavior change, particularly with respect to attaining achievable goals of weight loss and regular physical activity for youth and their families. We present a review of the literature, providing support for the value of the family in influencing children to form good diet and exercise behaviors and as a source of support and motivation for individuals seeking to lose or control their weight and to start and maintain a physically active lifestyle. Recognizing the importance of family behavior in the development of weight control and weight loss activities is essential.

Social support for exercise and dietary habits among college students.

An assessment inventory (the Friend/Peer Support-Health Eating Physical Activity Scale-FPS-HEPAS) was developed to measure social influence patterns of college student physical activity and food consumption habits. Principal components analysis of 50 items with two referent sets (friends and peers) produced two scales with common factors: encouragement to exercise, avoidance of high fat/salty foods, support for dieting and/or exercise to lose weight, and criticism about exercise behavior. The Friend Support scale also included a factor relating to criticism of eating foods high in fat or salt.

Positive and negative affect and health functioning indicators among older adults with chronic illnesses.

Emotional states have been linked with physical and mental health outcomes. In this study the role of positive and negative affect was investigated as determinants of health functioning for a community-dwelling sample of 153 older adults (age 60 or older) with chronic illnesses. High positive affect and low negative affect were found to be associated with lower levels of symptom distress, fewer depressive symptoms, higher daily activity scores, and higher perceived physical and mental health-related quality of life.

Human milk consumption and full enteral feeding among infants who weigh

Objective: Establishing enteral feeding is an important goal in the care of very low birth weight infants. In such infants, receipt of >/=50 mL/kg per day human milk during hospitalization has been associated with shorter time to full enteral feeding. The objective of this study was to determine whether high proportions (>/=50%) of human milk during feeding advancement are associated with shorter time to full enteral feeding and improved feeding tolerance.

Development and psychometric testing of the relocation self-efficacy scale.

Background: With greater numbers of older adults relocating to independent living communities (ILCs), there is an increasing need to determine whether factors such as self-efficacy can facilitate relocation adjustment. However, no relocation self-efficacy instrument is available.

Objectives: To develop and test an instrument measuring older adults' self-efficacy to relocate to an ILC.

The relationships among health functioning indicators and depression in older adults with diabetes.

A common health problem among the elderly with diabetes is the onset of depressive symptoms that can adversely affect self-care and control of diabetes. The study examined the relationships of gender, race, comorbid conditions, symptom distress, and functional status with depression in a sample (N = 55) of older adults with diabetes. Most participants were female and black; mean age was 73 years.

Cultural adaptation resources for nutrition and health in new immigrants in Central North Carolina.

This paper presents results of a study that was conducted for the purposes of describing available human services resources relating to nutrition, physical health, and behavioral health for new and recent immigrants (predominantly Mexican immigrants, but groups from Southeast Asia and continental Africa as well) in Guilford County, NC. Sixty-five service providers were determined to represent cultural adaptation resources providing either direct and/or ancillary assistance to limited English proficient immigrants. Seventeen direct assistance providers specialized in food and nutrition programs, but only 2 had targeted programs for addressing food scarcity, insecurity, and nutritional deficiencies in immigrant households.

Lactation counseling for mothers of very low birth weight infants: effect on maternal anxiety and infant intake of human milk.

Objective: Although it is well documented that breastfeeding promotes health and development of very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, lactation initiation among mothers of VLBW infants is low. Mothers are anxious about the health of their children, and medical staff may be reluctant to promote breastfeeding out of concern for increasing that anxiety. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine whether mothers of VLBW infants who initially planned to formula feed were different in terms of their level of anxiety and maternal stress compared with mothers who had planned to breastfeed their infants.

In-home continuing care services for substance use affected families.

The role of in-home work with substance use affected family members has great potential for addressing family and personal issues that are often not well addressed by continuing care interventions that involve limited contact with the family and the impact alcohol and other drug "abuse" has on the family environment. This article reviews the importance of involving the family in the recovery process and offers comparative advantages of an in-home visitation approach for assisting the substance user with maintaining substance use avoidance, reintegrating with the family, and addressing unresolved family issues affecting children and spousal relationships.