Dynamics of intervention adoption, implementation, and maintenance inside organizations: The case of an obesity prevention initiative.

Overall impact of public health prevention interventions relies not only on the average efficacy of an intervention, but also on the successful adoption, implementation, and maintenance (AIM) of that intervention. In this study, we aim to understand the dynamics that regulate AIM of organizational level intervention programs. We focus on two well-documented obesity prevention interventions, implemented in food carry-outs and stores in low-income urban areas of Baltimore, Maryland, which aimed to improve dietary behaviour for adults by providing access to healthier foods and point-of-purchase promotions.

Foods and Beverages Obtained at Worksites in the United States.

Background: Nutrition interventions are a common component of worksite wellness programs and have been recognized as an effective strategy to change employee dietary behaviors. However, little is known about worksite food behaviors or the foods that are obtained at workplaces at the national level.

Objective: The aims were to examine the frequency of and the amount of money spent obtaining foods at work among employed US adults, to determine the foods most commonly obtained at work, and to assess the dietary quality of these foods.

One Menu Please: Parents Want Affordable, Right-sized Portions for Their Children in Restaurants.

One contributing factor to the obesity epidemic is the large portion sizes served in restaurants. However, no study has looked at the parents' desire for smaller-portioned meals for their children at restaurants in the U.S.

Parental Characteristics and Reasons Associated With Purchasing Kids' Meals for Their Children.

Purpose: Characteristics of parents who purchased kids' meals, reasons for the purchase, and desire for healthy options were examined.

Design: Quantitative, cross-sectional study.

Setting: National.

Disparities in State-Specific Adult Fruit and Vegetable Consumption - United States, 2015.

The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that Americans consume more fruits and vegetables as part of an overall dietary pattern to reduce the risk for diet-related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity (1). Adults should consume 1.5-2.

Facilitators and Barriers to Community Acceptance of Safe, Dignified Medical Burials in the Context of an Ebola Epidemic, Sierra Leone, 2014.

Sierra Leone was heavily affected by the Ebola epidemic, with over 14,000 total cases. Given that corpses of people who have died from Ebola are highly infectious and given the extremely high risk of Ebola transmission associated with direct contact with bodies of people who have died of Ebola, community acceptance of safe, dignified medical burials was one of the important components of efforts to stop the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. Information on barriers and facilitators for community acceptance of safe, dignified medical burials is limited.

What Does Depression Mean for Korean American Elderly?: A Qualitative Follow-Up Study.

Objective: Korean American Elderly (KAE) have high rates of depression but underuse mental health services. The purpose of this study was to assess the meaning of depression and help seeking among KAE residing in the United States who have clinically significant depressive symptoms.

Methods: As a follow up to the Memory and Aging Study of Koreans (MASK; n=1,118), a descriptive epidemiological study which showed that only one in four of KAE with clinically significant depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9≥10) used mental health services, we conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with participants with clinically significant depressive symptoms regarding the meaning of depression and beliefs about help seeking.

Worksite Food and Physical Activity Environments and Wellness Supports Reported by Employed Adults in the United States, 2013.

Purpose: To examine the workplace food and physical activity (PA) environments and wellness culture reported by employed United States adults, overall and by employer size.

Design: Cross-sectional study using web-based survey on wellness policies and environmental supports for healthy eating and PA.

Setting: Worksites in the United States.

Factors Associated with Self-Reported Menu-Labeling Usage among US Adults.

Background: Menu labeling can help people select foods and beverages with fewer calories and is a potential population-based strategy to reduce obesity and diet-related chronic diseases in the United States.

Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the prevalence of menu-labeling use among adults and its association with sociodemographic, behavioral, and policy factors.

Methods: The 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data from 17 states, which included 100,141 adults who noticed menu labeling at fast-food or chain restaurants ("When calorie information is available in the restaurant, how often does this information help you decide what to order?") were used.

Support for Food and Beverage Worksite Wellness Strategies and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Among Employed U.S. Adults.

Purpose: Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is high among U.S. adults and is associated with obesity.

Healthful food availability in stores and restaurants--American Samoa, 2014.

American Samoa, one of the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands, has documented the highest prevalence of adults with obesity (75%) in the world.

A plan for community event-based surveillance to reduce Ebola transmission - Sierra Leone, 2014-2015.

Ebola virus disease (Ebola) was first detected in Sierra Leone in May 2014 and was likely introduced into the eastern part of the country from Guinea. The disease spread westward, eventually affecting Freetown, Sierra Leone's densely populated capital. By December 2014, Sierra Leone had more Ebola cases than Guinea and Liberia, the other two West African countries that have experienced widespread transmission.

Support services for survivors of ebola virus disease - Sierra Leone, 2014.

As of December 6, 2014, Sierra Leone reported 6,317 laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola virus disease (Ebola), the highest number of reported cases in the current West Africa epidemic. The Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation reported that as of December 6, 2014, there were 1,181 persons who had survived and were discharged. Survivors from previous Ebola outbreaks have reported major barriers to resuming normal lives after release from treatment, such as emotional distress, health issues, loss of possessions, and difficulty regaining their livelihoods.

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among adults -- 18 states, 2012.

Reducing consumption of calories from added sugars is a recommendation of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and an objective of Healthy People 2020. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) are major sources of added sugars in the diets of U.S.

Restaurant menu labeling use among adults--17 states, 2012.

Many persons underestimate the calories in restaurant foods. Increased attention has been given to menu labeling (ML) as a way to provide consumers with point-of-purchase information that can help them reduce calorie intake and make healthier dietary choices. In 2010, a federal law was passed requiring restaurants with 20 or more establishments to display calorie information on menus and menu boards.

Environmental Intervention in Carryout Restaurants Increases Sales of Healthy Menu Items in a Low-Income Urban Setting.

Purpose: To investigate how a pilot environmental intervention changed food sales patterns in carryout restaurants.

Design: Quasi-experimental.

Setting: Low-income neighborhoods of Baltimore, Maryland.

Community-based interventions in prepared-food sources: a systematic review.

Introduction: Food purchased from prepared-food sources has become a major part of the American diet and is linked to increased rates of chronic disease. Many interventions targeting prepared-food sources have been initiated with the goal of promoting healthful options. The objective of this study was to provide a systematic review of interventions in prepared-food sources in community settings.

Development and implementation of the Baltimore healthy carry-outs feasibility trial: process evaluation results.

Background: Prepared food sources, including fast food restaurants and carry-outs, are common in low-income urban areas. These establishments provide foods high in calories, sugar, fat, and sodium. The aims of the study were to (1) describe the development and implementation of a carry-out intervention to provide and promote healthy food choices in prepared food sources, and (2) to assess its feasibility through a process evaluation.