A validation study comparing two self-reported upper extremity symptom surveys with clinical examinations for upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders.

Objective: Evaluate the validity of two self-report symptoms surveys with two disorder classification protocols.

Participants: 100 graduate students at a private school in the Southwest United States.

Methods: Study participants completed two self-report upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms surveys: a nine item 10 cm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and a nine item Likert categorical scale anchored from "None" to "Very severe".

Mechanical systems versus smoking bans for secondhand smoke control.

Introduction: Despite international efforts to implement smoking bans, several national legislations still allow smoking and recommend mechanical systems, such as ventilation and air extraction, to eliminate secondhand smoke (SHS) health-related risks. We aimed to quantify the relative contribution of mechanical systems and smoking bans to SHS elimination.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in randomly selected establishments from 4 Mexican cities (3 with no ban).

Psychosocial outcomes of Lunch is in the Bag, a parent program for packing healthful lunches for preschool children.

Objective: This pilot study evaluated effects of Lunch is in the Bag on behavioral constructs and their predictive relationship to lunch-packing behaviors of parents of young children.

Methods: Six child care centers were pair-matched and randomly assigned to intervention (n = 3) and comparison (n = 3) groups. Parent/child dyads participated.

Associations of BMI and its fat-free and fat components with blood lipids in children: Project HeartBeat!

AIM: This study aimed to distinguish between the roles of the two components of BMI, the fat mass (FM) index and the fat-free mass (FFM) index, in BMI's association with blood lipids in children and adolescents. METHODS: A total of 678 children (49.1% female, 79.

Reductions in cigarette smoking and acute myocardial infarction mortality in Jefferson County, Texas.

After litigation against the tobacco industry ended in a settlement, the Texas legislature funded pilot projects to reduce tobacco use in selected areas of the state. Subsequent telephone surveys showed that well-funded activities were successful in reducing population rates of self-reported cigarette smoking. We present evidence that the reduction in smoking promptly led to lower rates of death from acute myocardial infarctions.

Lunch is in the bag: increasing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in sack lunches of preschool-aged children.

Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are important sources of nutrients for healthy growth and development of young children. Recent evidence suggests that sack lunches packed by parents for children to consume at child-care centers do not regularly meet the goal of one serving of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Lunch Is In The Bag is a child-care center-based nutrition education program targeted at parents of preschool-aged children to increase the number of servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in sack lunches sent from home that was pilot tested in fall 2008.

Evaluation of two posture survey instruments for assessing computing postures among college students.

Objective: To determine agreement between two posture assessment survey instruments and which, if any, were correlated with experiencing upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms.

Methods: Thirty undergraduate participants had three postural assessment surveys completed, one each for three separate 7-day data collection periods during a semester. Two observation assessment tools were used, a modified Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (mRULA) for computer users for the right and left limbs and the University of California Computer Use Checklist.

The epidemiology of upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms on a college campus.

Objective: The study examines temporal variations in upper-extremity musculoskeletal symptoms throughout the day, over a week and throughout the semester.

Methods: 30 undergraduates were followed in a repeated measures study throughout a semester. Upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms data were collected on handheld computers randomly throughout the day for seven days over three data collection periods.

Effects of body size and body fatness on left ventricular mass in children and adolescents: Project HeartBeat!

Background: Left ventricular mass (LVM) is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease in adults. Available study findings on effects of body fatness on LVM in children are inconsistent. Understanding the impact of body fat on LVM in children may help prevent excessive LVM through measures to reduce overweight and obesity.

Systolic and fourth- and fifth-phase diastolic blood pressure from ages 8 to 18 years: Project HeartBeat!

Background: Systolic and fourth-phase and fifth-phase diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP4, DBP5) have appeared to differ in their patterns of age-related change, and SBP and DBP5 differ in their respective associations with anthropometric variables. Project HeartBeat! investigated trajectories of change in SBP, DBP4, and SBP5 with age and their relationships with indices of adiposity, controlling for energy intake, physical activity, and sexual maturation.

Methods: Project HeartBeat! was a mixed longitudinal study in 678 black and white girls and boys aged 8, 11, or 14 years at first examination, followed at 4-month intervals for up to 4 years (1991-1995).

Sexual maturation affects diet-blood total cholesterol association in children: Project HeartBeat!

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) does not become clinically manifest until adulthood. However, children and young adults have evidence of atheromatous lesions and fatty streaks in their aortas and coronary vessels. Most longitudinal studies in children are not designed to evaluate the dynamics of change in CVD risk factors.

Blood lipids in children: age-related patterns and association with body-fat indices: Project HeartBeat!

Background: Longitudinal data on the normal development of blood lipids and its relationships with body fatness in children and adolescents are limited. Objectives of the current analysis were to estimate trajectories related to age for four blood lipid components and to examine the impact of change in body fatness on blood lipid levels, comparing estimated effects among adiposity indices, in children and adolescents.

Methods: Three cohorts, with a total of 678 children (49.

Trajectories of fat mass index, fat free-mass index, and waist circumference in children: Project HeartBeat!

Background: Body composition and fat distribution change dramatically during adolescence. Data based on longitudinal studies to describe these changes are limited. The aim of this study was to describe age-related changes in fat free-mass index (FFMI) and fat mass index (FMI), which are components of BMI, and waist circumference (WC) in participants of Project HeartBeat!, a longitudinal study of children.

Analytic methods in Project HeartBeat!

Project HeartBeat! (1991-1995) was an observational study of the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in childhood and adolescence using an accelerated longitudinal design. The purpose of this paper is to explain the analytic methods used in the study, particularly multilevel statistical models. Measurements of hemodynamic, lipid, anthropometric, and other variables were obtained in 678 children who were enrolled in three cohorts (baseline ages 8, 11, and 14 years) and followed for 4 years, resulting in data for children aged 8-18 years.

The cultural production of health inequalities: a cross-sectional, multilevel examination of 52 countries.

In a 2001 report, the U.S. National Institutes of Health called for more integration of the social sciences into health-related research, including research guided by theories and methods that take social and cultural systems into consideration.

Upper extremity pain and computer use among engineering graduate students: a replication study.

Background: Recent literature identified upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms at a prevalence of >40% in college populations. The study objectives were to determine weekly computer use and the prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms in a graduate student population, and make comparisons with previous graduate and undergraduate cohorts.

Methods: One hundred sixty-six graduate students completed a survey on computing and musculoskeletal health.

Computer use patterns associated with upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms.

Introduction: Over half of surveyed college students are experiencing pain they are attributing to computer use. The study objective was to evaluate the effect of computing patterns on upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms.

Methods: Symptom experiences and computing/break patterns were reported several times daily over three weeks for 30 undergraduate students over a semester.

Social capital, income inequality, and self-rated health in 45 countries.

There has been growing interest in the relationship between the social environment and health. Among the concepts that have emerged over the past decade to examine this relationship are socio-economic inequality and social capital. Using data from the World Values Survey and the World Bank, we tested the hypothesis that self-rated health is affected by social capital and income inequality cross-nationally.

Drinking social norms and drinking behaviours: a multilevel analysis of 137 workgroups in 16 worksites.

Background: Previous studies on worksite drinking norms showed individually perceived norms were associated with drinking behaviours.

Objective: To examine whether restrictive drinking social norms shared by workgroup membership are associated with decreased heavy drinking, frequent drinking and drinking at work at the worker level.

Methods: The sample included 5338 workers with complete data nested in 137 supervisory workgroups from 16 American worksites.

Effects of a preschool staff intervention on children's sun protection: outcomes of sun protection is fun!

The preschool is an important yet understudied setting for sun-protection interventions. This study evaluates the effects of Sun Protection is Fun! (SPF) on preschool staff behavioral and psychosocial outcomes related to protecting children from sun exposure. Twenty preschools participated in a 2-year, group-randomized trial to evaluate SPF, a behavioral intervention grounded in social cognitive theory and designed to be more extensive than previous preschool sun-protection interventions.

Cigarette smoking enhances increased urine albumin excretion as a risk factor for glomerular filtration rate decline in primary hypertension.

Background: Subjects with severe compared with mild primary hypertension are at greater risk for decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), but additional risk factors are poorly defined.

Methods: Seventy-five subjects referred for assistance with blood pressure control ("severe") and 150 not-referred hypertensive subjects ("mild") were prospectively followed for 7 years. The primary outcome was the change in calculated GFR during follow-up as predicted by various clinical parameters, including urine albumin excretion measured as urine albumin (mg)-to-creatinine (g) (alb/cr) ratio.

An intervention for parents to promote preschool children's sun protection: effects of Sun Protection is Fun!

Background: Young children are an important focus of sun-protection efforts, but there has been relatively little study of sun-protection interventions developed for preschool-aged children and their parents. This paper reports on the evaluation of Sun Protection is Fun! (S.P.

Percentiles of body composition from bioelectrical impedance and body measurements in U.S. adolescents 8-17 years old: Project HeartBeat!

Reference percentiles (5th, 10th, 50th, 85th, 90th, and 95th) of black and nonblack children ages 8-17 years from Project HeartBeat! (n = 678) are presented for body mass index (BMI), percent body fat (PBF), fat-free mass (FFM), and fat mass (FM) derived from bioelectrical impedance. Project HeartBeat! is a mixed longitudinal study in which three cohorts of children (seen initially at age 8, 11, or 14 years) were followed for 4 years and measured thrice-yearly from 1991 through 1995. Weight, height, and BMI of Project HeartBeat! children are similar in central tendency and variability to those of nationally representative samples for nonblack children but not black children, for whom there is an excess of children at or above the 95th percentile for weight and BMI.

Cigarette smoking exacerbates and its cessation ameliorates renal injury in type 2 diabetes.

Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes and macroalbuminuria generally experience progressive glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decline despite angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition (ACEI) and blood pressure (BP) control but this therapy generally stabilizes GFR in those without macroalbuminuria. Cigarette smoking exacerbates GFR decline in patients with type 2 diabetes and macroalbuminuria despite ACEI and BP control; whether this therapy prevents nephropathy progression in nonmacroalbuminuric type 2 diabetic smokers is unknown.

Methods: We determined the course of urine excretion of indices of renal injury that distinguished patients with type 2 diabetes with and without macroalbuminuria but with normal plasma creatinine who were prospectively followed 6 months while receiving ACEI and BP control.