Your Move: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of a Blended Learning Sexual Health Program.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of Your Move, a multisession blended learning sexual health education program for females aged 14-19 years.

Methods: This group randomized controlled trial included a sample of 104 groups comprised of 808 females aged 14-19 years. After completing the baseline survey, small groups of 4-16 participants were randomized, stratified by 6 regions, to receive Your Move (n = 58 groups, 412 participants) or an attention control program called Eat Smart (n = 46 groups, 396 participants).

Evaluating a Future-Oriented Positive Youth Development Intervention to Reduce Sexual Risk Among Highly Mobile Youth: Results and Challenges.

Purpose: Youth experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness need tailored prevention programming to prevent unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. This study evaluated the efficacy of a small-group, future-oriented positive youth development (PYD) intervention to reduce sexual risk behaviors.

Method: Youth aged 14-19 (n = 483) experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness were recruited at youth-serving agencies and in alternative schools.

Who Benefits from School-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs? Examining Multidimensional Moderators of Program Effectiveness Across Four Studies.

Recent research has suggested the importance of understanding for whom programs are most effective (Supplee et al., 2013) and that multidimensional profiles of risk and protective factors may moderate the effectiveness of programs (Lanza & Rhoades, 2012). For school-based prevention programs, moderators of program effectiveness may occur at both the individual and school levels.

Replication of It's Your Game…Keep It Real! in Southeast Texas.

Despite the recent efforts of the Office of Adolescent Health to replicate programs with demonstrated efficacy, there are still few evidence-based HIV, sexually transmitted infection (STI), and teen pregnancy prevention programs that have been replicated in "real-world" settings. To test the effectiveness of It's Your Game…Keep It Real! (IYG), an evidence-based STI and pregnancy prevention program for middle schools, the curriculum was implemented by teachers in urban and suburban middle schools in Southeast Texas from 2012 to 2015. IYG was evaluated using a group-randomized wait-list controlled effectiveness trial design in which 20 middle schools in nine urban and suburban school districts in Southeast Texas were randomized equally, using a multi-attribute randomization protocol, to either the intervention condition (received IYG) (n = 10 schools comprising 1936 eligible seventh graders) or the comparison condition (received usual care) (n = 10 schools comprising 1825 eligible seventh graders).

It's Your Game…Keep It Real in South Carolina: A Group Randomized Trial Evaluating the Replication of an Evidence-Based Adolescent Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Infection Prevention Program.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of an evidence-based HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI)/pregnancy prevention program for middle schools implemented by school staff in South Carolina.

Methods: Twenty-four schools, representing 3143 youths, participated in a randomized trial from 2011 to 2014. Students completed surveys before programming (fall of seventh grade), after completing the 2-year It's Your Game…Keep It Real program (spring of eighth grade), and 1-year postprogram (spring of ninth grade).

The Nature of the Association between Anxiety Sensitivity and Pain-Related Anxiety: Evidence from Correlational and Intervention Studies.

High anxiety sensitivity (AS) has been associated with elevated pain-related anxiety in anxiety and pain samples. The present study investigated (a) the associations among the lower order dimensions of AS and pain-related anxiety, using a robust measure of AS, and (b) the pain-related anxiety outcomes of a telephone-delivered cognitive behavioural treatment (CBT) designed to reduce high AS. Participants were 80 anxiety treatment-seeking participants with high AS (M age = 36 years; 79% women).

Estimates of Intraclass Correlation Coefficients From Longitudinal Group-Randomized Trials of Adolescent HIV/STI/Pregnancy Prevention Programs.

Introduction: Group-randomized trials (GRTs) are one of the most rigorous methods for evaluating the effectiveness of group-based health risk prevention programs. Efficiently designing GRTs with a sample size that is sufficient for meeting the trial's power and precision goals while not wasting resources exceeding them requires estimates of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)-the degree to which outcomes of individuals clustered within groups (e.g.

Using data to improve fidelity when implementing evidence-based programs.

In fall 2011, the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (SC Campaign), with funding from Office of Adolescent Health, began replicating an evidence-based curriculum, It's Your Game, Keep It Real in 12 middle schools across South Carolina. Fidelity of the curriculum was monitored by the use of lesson fidelity logs completed by curriculum facilitators and lesson observation logs submitted by independent classroom observers. These data were monitored weekly to identify possible threats to fidelity.

What works? Process evaluation of a school-based fruit and vegetable distribution program in Mississippi.

Background: During the 2004-2005 school year, the Mississippi Department of Education, Office of Child Nutrition, initiated a pilot program to distribute free fruit and vegetable snacks to students during the school day. This article describes the first-year implementation of the Mississippi Fruit and Vegetable Pilot Program.

Methods: The process evaluation addressed where, when, and how produce was distributed; what was distributed; challenges and successes; and recommended modifications.

Impact of an intervention to improve contraceptive use through follow-up phone calls to female adolescent clinic patients.

Context: Adolescent females often have questions or concerns about their contraceptive methods, and they may discontinue use if these questions are not answered. Little evidence exists on whether follow-up phone calls to address young women's concerns can help sustain contraceptive use.

Methods: Between 2005 and 2007, a total of 805 females aged 14-18 attending a reproductive health clinic in San Francisco were randomly assigned to receive either regular clinic services or regular clinic services plus nine follow-up phone calls over 12 months.

Evidence-based review on the effect of normal dietary consumption of fructose on blood lipids and body weight of overweight and obese individuals.

Although some investigators have hypothesized that ingestion of fructose from foods and beverages is responsible for the development of hyperlipidemia or obesity, a recent evidence-based review demonstrated that there was no relationship between the consumption of fructose in a normal dietary manner and the development of hyperlipidemia or increased weight in normal weight individuals. Because overweight and obese individuals may exhibit metabolic abnormalities such as insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, hyperlipedemia, and/or alterations in gut hormones involved in appetite regulation, the findings of fructose studies performed in normal weight subjects may not be particularly relevant for overweight or obese subjects. A systematic assessment of the strength and quality of the studies and their relevance for overweight or obese humans ingesting fructose in a normal dietary manner has not been performed.

Evidence-based review on the effect of normal dietary consumption of fructose on development of hyperlipidemia and obesity in healthy, normal weight individuals.

In recent years, there has been episodic speculation that an increase in consumption of fructose from foods and beverages is an underlying factor responsible for the relatively recent increase in obesity and obesity-related diseases such as diabetes. Reports in support of this hypothesis have been published, showing that concentrations of triglycerides (TG) are higher and concentrations of insulin and hormones associated with satiety are lower in animals following the ingestion of fairly large quantities of fructose, compared to other carbohydrates. However, results from human studies are inconsistent.

Distributing free fresh fruit and vegetables at school: results of a pilot outcome evaluation.

Objectives: Consumption of fruit and vegetables among children is generally below recommended levels. This evaluation addressed two questions: (1) To what extent did children's attitudes toward, familiarity with, and preferences for fruit and vegetables change during the school year? and (2) To what extent did children's consumption of fruit and vegetables change during the school year?

Methods: During the 2004-2005 school year, the Mississippi Department of Education, Child Nutrition Programs initiated a pilot program to distribute free fruit and vegetables to students (kindergarten through 12th grade) during the school day. Data were collected in 2004-2005 within a one-group pretest/posttest design using a self-report questionnaire (n=725) and 24-hour dietary recalls (n=207) with a sample of students from five schools in Mississippi.

Promoting elementary physical education: results of a school-based evaluation study.

Using a quasiexperimental design, the authors examine whether fourth- and fifth-grade students exposed to a developmental physical education (PE) curriculum, Michigan's Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum (EPEC), demonstrated stronger motor skill-specific self-efficacy and perceptions of physical activity competence, physical activity levels, motor skills, and physical fitness than did students exposed to existing PE curricula. The authors conducted a multilevel regression analysis with data from 1,464 students in the fourth and fifth grades. Data were collected using a student survey, an activity checklist, and motor and fitness assessments.

Psychopathy and offence severity in sexually aggressive and violent youth.

Background: A large proportion of violent crimes are committed by youths. Youths with psychopathic traits may have a higher risk for recidivism and violence.

Aims/hypotheses: Our aim was to compare sexually aggressive with violent young men on offence severity and psychopathy.

Effect of novel maize-based dietary fibers on postprandial glycemia and insulinemia.

Background: Postprandial hyperglycemia has been associated with increased oxidative stress and the development of diabetes, heart disease and all-cause mortality.

Objective: To assess the effect of novel maize-based dietary fibers on postprandial glycemia and to assess the correlation between a rapid in vitro digestibility system and the blood glucose response.

Methods: In a clinical study, 12 healthy volunteers were fed seven test beverages containing maize-based fiber ingredients (25g total carbohydrate) along with 2 control meals on separate occasions in random order.

A simulation-based biodefense and disaster preparedness curriculum for internal medicine residents.

Aims: Disaster and bioterrorism preparedness is poorly integrated into the curricula of internal medicine residency programs. Given that victims may present to a variety of healthcare venues, including primary care practices, inpatient hospital wards, and intensive care units, we developed a curriculum to address this need.

Methods: The curriculum consisted of four didactic sessions with supplemental readings covering biologic, chemical, and radiologic agents, as well as public health infrastructure.

Dietary soy beta-conglycinin (7S globulin) inhibits atherosclerosis in mice.

Although beta-conglycinin (7S globulin), a major soy storage protein, stimulates the expression of LDL receptors and the degradation of LDL by hepatocytes in vitro, the in vivo effects of dietary beta-conglycinin on the cardiovascular system are unknown. We assessed the effects of dietary beta-conglycinin and other soy peptide fractions on the development of atherosclerosis in atherosclerosis-susceptible mice. At 6 wk of age, male and ovariectomized female apolipoprotein (apo) E-null mice and LDL receptor-null, apoB transgenic mice were assigned randomly to treatment groups that differed only in the source of dietary protein: 1) casein/lactalbumin, 2) isoflavone-containing soy protein isolate, 3) beta-conglycinin, 4) glycinin (11S globulin, another major soy storage protein), 5) beta-conglycinin-devoid soy protein, and 6) W008 (a peptide fraction produced by hydrolysis and precipitation of soy protein isolate).

Dietary soy and soy isoflavones have gender-specific effects on plasma lipids and isoflavones in golden Syrian f(1)b hybrid hamsters.

The specific components of soy responsible for its beneficial effects on plasma lipids are unknown. Golden Syrian F(1)B Hybrid hamsters (75 male, 74 female) were evaluated for the effect of dietary soy and soy isoflavones on plasma lipids. They were fed the following diets for 16 wk: casein/lactalbumin (C/L), soy protein with isoflavones [Soy(+)], soy protein with isoflavones removed [Soy(-)], Soy(-) plus isoflavone extract (IF), and C/L + IF.

Effect of soy protein on endogenous hormones in postmenopausal women.

Background: The long-term clinical effects of soy protein containing various concentrations of isoflavones on endogenous hormones are unknown.

Objective: We examined the effects of ingestion of soy protein containing various concentrations of isoflavones on hormone values in postmenopausal women.

Design: Seventy-three hypercholesterolemic, free-living, postmenopausal women participated in a 6-mo double-blind trial in which 40 g protein as part of a National Cholesterol Education Program Step I diet was provided as casein from nonfat dry milk (control), isolated soy protein (ISP) containing 56 mg isoflavones (ISP56), or ISP containing 90 mg isoflavones (ISP90).