Facilitators and barriers to students' learning in an obesity prevention graduate program.

Childhood obesity is a major public health concern with underpinnings at the individual, family, community and societal levels. The Transdisciplinary Childhood Obesity Prevention Graduate Certificate Program (TOP) is an innovative graduate-level certificate program developed to train professionals to understand and address obesity from multiple perspectives using an interprofessional education (IPE) approach. Currently, there is limited knowledge on what promotes or hinders learning in IPE approaches dealing with obesity prevention.

Web-Based Interventions Alone or Supplemented with Peer-Led Support or Professional Email Counseling for Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance in Women from Rural Communities: Results of a Clinical Trial.

. This trial compared the effectiveness of a web-based only (WO) intervention with web-based supplemented by peer-led discussion (WD) or professional email counseling (WE) across 3 phases to achieve weight loss and weight maintenance in women from underserved rural communities. .

Effectiveness of tailored lifestyle interventions, using web-based and print-mail, for reducing blood pressure among rural women with prehypertension: main results of the Wellness for Women: DASHing towards Health clinical trial.

Background: Lifestyle modification is recommended for management of prehypertension, yet finding effective interventions to reach rural women is a public health challenge. This community-based clinical trial compared the effectiveness of standard advice to two multi-component theory-based tailored interventions, using web-based or print-mailed delivery, in reducing blood pressure among rural women, ages 40-69, with prehypertension.

Methods: 289 women with prehypertension enrolled in the Wellness for Women: DASHing towards Health trial, a 12-month intervention with 12-month follow-up.

Obesity and Physical Function in Rural Women who enroll in a Lifestyle Modification Intervention for Reducing Blood Pressure.

Purpose: Rural women have high prevalence of obesity and prehypertension. Obesity, if associated with poor physical function, may have implications for applying activity guidelines for women volunteering for lifestyle modification. This study examined associations of body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat with measures of 1-mile walk time, post-walk perceived exertion, and 10-repetition chair stands in rural women ages 40-69.

Associations of cardiorespiratory fitness and fatness with metabolic syndrome in rural women with prehypertension.

Background: This study investigated the associations of fitness and fatness with metabolic syndrome in rural women, part of a recognized US health disparities group.

Methods: Fitness, percentage body fat, BMI, and metabolic syndrome criteria were assessed at baseline in 289 rural women with prehypertension, ages 40-69, enrolled in a healthy eating and activity community-based clinical trial for reducing blood pressure.

Results: Ninety (31%) women had metabolic syndrome, of which 70% were obese by BMI (≥30 kg/m²), 100% by percentage body fat (≥30%), and 100% by revised BMI standards (≥25 kg/m²) cited in current literature.

The influence of cognitive-perceptual variables on patterns of change over time in rural midlife and older women's healthy eating.

Although studies demonstrate that dietary interventions for healthy adults can result in beneficial dietary changes, few studies examine when and how people change in response to these interventions, particularly in rural populations. The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of change over time in healthy eating behaviors in midlife and older women in response to a one-year health-promoting intervention, and to examine what predictors (perceived benefits, barriers, self-efficacy, and family support for healthy eating) influence the changes during the intervention and follow-up. Data for this secondary analysis were from the Wellness for Women community-based trial.

Mexican American mothers' eating and child feeding behaviors.

Objective: The purpose of this study of Mexican-American mothers of 2-6 year old children was to explore the relationships among maternal attitude, perceived behavioral controls, mother's intent, mother's regulation of her own Simple Carbohydrate Intake (SCI), and mother's child feeding behaviors. The overall objective was to increase understanding of the complex process of intention to eat healthy.

Methods: A prospective exploratory design using a convenience sample of a cohort of 82 Mexican-American mothers was used in this study.

Web-based interventions for weight loss and weight maintenance among rural midlife and older women: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Weight loss is challenging and maintenance of weight loss is problematic among midlife and older rural women. Finding effective interventions using innovative delivery methods that can reach underserved and vulnerable populations of overweight and obese rural women is a public health challenge.

Methods/design: This Women Weigh-In for Wellness (The WWW study) randomized-controlled trial is designed to compare the effectiveness of theory-based behavior-change interventions using (1) website only, (2) website with peer-led support, or (3) website with professional email-counseling to facilitate initial weight loss (baseline to 6 months), guided continuing weight loss and maintenance (7-18 months) and self-directed weight maintenance (19-30 months) among rural women ages 45-69 with a BMI of 28-45.

Blood pressure, fitness, and lipid profiles of rural women in the wellness for women project.

Purpose: This study examined whether rural women, who had a high prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension upon enrollment in a wellness program, would also have a high prevalence of other cardiovascular disease risk factors such as low fitness and/or dyslipidemia.

Methods: Data were analyzed from 225 rural women, ages 50-69, enrolled in a healthy eating and activity clinical trial. Cardiovascular health histories, fitness measures, blood pressure, and fasting blood serum samples were collected following standardized protocols at rural research offices.

Maintenance of activity and eating change after a clinical trial of tailored newsletters with older rural women.

Background: In the Wellness for Women Project, a randomized-by-site 1-year controlled clinical trial, the efficacy of generic newsletters and newsletters tailored on Health Promotion Model behavior-specific cognitions, eating behavior, and activity behavior were compared among 225 women aged 50 to 69 years.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the maintenance of change in healthy eating and physical activity over the 12 months following the tailored versus generic mailed newsletter intervention.

Methods: Outcomes at 18 and 24 months included behavioral markers and biomarkers of physical activity and eating.

Clinical trial of tailored activity and eating newsletters with older rural women.

Background: Unhealthy diet and lack of physical activity increase rural midlife and older women's risk of chronic diseases and premature death, and they are behind urban residents in meeting Healthy People 2010 objectives.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare a tailored intervention based on the Health Promotion Model with a generic intervention to increase physical activity and healthy eating among rural women.

Methods: In a randomized-by-site, community-based, controlled, clinical trial, Wellness for Women, 225 women aged 50 to 69 years were recruited in two similar rural areas.

Low-income young adults report increased variety in fruit and vegetable intake after a stage-tailored intervention.

The objective of this study was to determine if a fruit and vegetable (FV) intervention, previously demonstrated to increase amount of FV per day, also increased the variety consumed. Variety in FV intake was assessed using a 26-item FV (12 fruit and 14 vegetable) food frequency questionnaire on 1255 low-income adults, with ages from 18 to 24 years (control = 684 vs experimental = 571), after completion of a stage-tailored intervention to increase FV intakes. The food frequency questionnaire was administered at 12 months to assess how often and how much participants ate of each item over the previous year.

Internet-based interventions have potential to affect short-term mediators and indicators of dietary behavior of young adults.

Objective: Evaluate a theory-based, Internet-delivered nutrition education module.

Design: Randomized, treatment-control design with pre-post intervention assessments.

Setting And Participants: Convenience sample of 160 young adults (aged 18-24) recruited by community educators in 4 states.

Educator and participant perceptions and cost analysis of stage-tailored educational telephone calls.

Objective: To identify strengths and weaknesses of nutrition education via telephone calls as part of a larger stage-of-change tailored intervention with mailed materials.

Design: Evaluative feedback was elicited from educators who placed the calls and respondents who received the calls.

Setting: An internet and telephone survey of 10 states in the midwestern United States.

Feasibility of Internet-delivered weight loss interventions among rural women ages 50-69.

Purpose: The increased availability and use of the Internet by midlife and older women who seek health information may provide an innovative method for delivering weight loss interventions. This preliminary study examined the feasibility and efficacy of web-based interventions for promoting weight loss among rural overweight and obese women ages 50-69 (M = 55.5 +/- 4.

A stage-tailored multi-modal intervention increases fruit and vegetable intakes of low-income young adults.

Purpose: Assess effectiveness of an intervention to improve fruit and vegetable consumption in economically disadvantaged young adults.

Design: Randomized treatment-control, pre-post design.

Setting: Ten states.

Eating behaviors and health history of rural midlife to older women in the midwestern United States.

This study was conducted to examine daily energy, food group, and nutrient intakes of late midlife to older women living in the rural Midwestern United States compared with recommended intakes for the US population, and to describe their physical measures and health history. Random-digit dialing was used to recruit 225 community-dwelling women aged 50 to 69 years from a rural Midwestern area of the United States. Participants completed online food intake and health history surveys.

Differences in eating and activity behaviors, health history, and biomarkers among normal-weight, overweight, and obese rural midwestern hispanic women.

This project examined differences in health history, eating and activity behaviors, and biomarkers across three weight categories of rural, Midwestern, US-born Hispanic women as a way to identify critical factors for improving long-term health. Using a cross-sectional descriptive design, a convenience sample of 70 women, aged 19 to 69 years, completed general health, demographic, food frequency, and physical activity questionnaires. Height, weight, blood pressure, and waist circumferences were measured and recorded.

Determinants of older rural women's activity and eating.

This research examined the relationship of cognitive-perceptual determinants from the Health Promotion Model to physical activity and healthy eating at baseline of a clinical trial among rural women aged 50 to 69. Two multivariate regression analyses with canonical correlation (N = 179) each yielded one interpretable canonical variate that explained similar amounts of variance (21.7% and 22.

Acceptability of stage-tailored newsletters about fruits and vegetables by young adults.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptability of stage-tailored newsletters as a communication means for promoting fruit and vegetable intake by young adults. Qualitative interviews were conducted to gather young adults' likes and dislikes about stage-tailored newsletters on fruits and vegetables. A total of 246 interviews were completed by young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 years for focus group and/or in-depth interviews.

Physical activity and fitness among midlife and older rural women.

This study investigated physical activity and fitness of midlife and older rural women. Random-digit dialing was used to recruit 225 women (57.9 +/- 5.

Differences in eating and activity markers among normal weight, overweight, and obese rural women.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine differences in healthy eating and physical activity behaviors and associated biomarkers among normal weight (body mass index [BMI] < 25), overweight (BMI 25-29.9), and obese (BMI > or = 30) rural women.

Methods: Random digit dialing was used to recruit 225 rural women (57.

Use and reliability of the World Wide Web version of the Block Health Habits and History Questionnaire with older rural women.

Objective: To estimate the parallel forms reliability of the paper and pencil and World Wide Web versions of the 1998 Block Health Habits and History Questionnaire (HHHQ) and to examine the feasibility of older women using the Web version.

Design: Within a 2-week period, participants completed both the paper and pencil and Web versions of the HHHQ and pre- and postsurveys about their comfort level and experience in using the computer.

Subjects: A convenience sample of 31 white women, aged 58.