Personal and household PM and black carbon exposure measures and respiratory symptoms in 8 low- and middle-income countries.

Background: Household air pollution (HAP) from cooking with solid fuels has been associated with adverse respiratory effects, but most studies use surveys of fuel use to define HAP exposure, rather than on actual air pollution exposure measurements.

Objective: To examine associations between household and personal fine particulate matter (PM) and black carbon (BC) measures and respiratory symptoms.

Methods: As part of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology Air Pollution study, we analyzed 48-h household and personal PM and BC measurements for 870 individuals using different cooking fuels from 62 communities in 8 countries (Bangladesh, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe).

Multinational prediction of household and personal exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) in the PURE cohort study.

Introduction: Use of polluting cooking fuels generates household air pollution (HAP) containing health-damaging levels of fine particulate matter (PM). Many global epidemiological studies rely on categorical HAP exposure indicators, which are poor surrogates of measured PM levels. To quantitatively characterize HAP levels on a large scale, a multinational measurement campaign was leveraged to develop household and personal PM exposure models.

Measuring and predicting personal and household Black Carbon levels from 88 communities in eight countries.

Black Carbon (BC) is an important component of household air pollution (HAP) in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), but levels and drivers of exposure are poorly understood. As part of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study, we analyzed 48-hour BC measurements for 1187 individual and 2242 household samples from 88 communities in 8 LMICs (Bangladesh, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe). Light absorbance (10 m) of collected PM filters, a proxy for BC concentrations, was calculated via an image-based reflectance method.

Household and personal air pollution exposure measurements from 120 communities in eight countries: results from the PURE-AIR study.

Background: Approximately 2·8 billion people are exposed to household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels. Few monitoring studies have systematically measured health-damaging air pollutant (ie, fine particulate matter [PM] and black carbon) concentrations from a wide range of cooking fuels across diverse populations. This multinational study aimed to assess the magnitude of kitchen concentrations and personal exposures to PM and black carbon in rural communities with a wide range of cooking environments.

Is it nutrients, food items, diet quality or eating behaviours that are responsible for the association of children's diet with sleep?

Both diet quality and sleep duration of children have declined in the past decades. Several studies have suggested that diet and sleep are associated; however, it is not established which aspects of the diet are responsible for this association. Is it nutrients, food items, diet quality or eating behaviours? We surveyed 2261 grade 5 children on their dietary intake and eating behaviours, and their parents on their sleep duration and sleep quality.

Are sleep duration and sleep quality associated with diet quality, physical activity, and body weight status? A population-based study of Canadian children.

Objectives: To describe sleep duration and sleep characteristics, and to examine the associations between sleep duration and characteristics and body weight status, diet quality, and physical activity levels among grade 5 children in Nova Scotia.

Methods: A provincially representative sample of 5,560 grade 5 children and their parents in Nova Scotia was surveyed. Parents were asked to report their child's bedtime and wake-up time, and to indicate how often their child snored or felt sleepy during the day.

The influence of parental encouragement and caring about healthy eating on children's diet quality and body weights.

Objective: In order to mitigate childhood obesity, evidence on what influences children's health behaviours is needed to inform new health promotion strategies. The present study investigated the association between parental practices and their child's diet and body weight status.

Design: Grade 5 students and their parents completed health surveys.

The impact of school policies and practices on students' diets, physical activity levels and body weights: A province-wide practice-based evaluation.

Objectives: To assess what health promotion policies and practices were adopted by schools in Nova Scotia and the extent that these policies and practices affected the diet quality, physical activity (PA) and weight status of students.

Methods: We developed and administered a 'school practice assessment tool' to assess the presence of 72 different school-based health promotion policies and practices. Surveys were conducted in 2003 and 2011 to assess diet, PA and weight status in approximately 10,000 grade 5 students.

Leadership skills are associated with health behaviours among Canadian children.

Life skills development is a core area for action in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. The role of life skills in influencing health behaviours among children has received little attention in research. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between self-leadership, as a model of life skills, and diet quality, physical activity, sleep duration and body weight.

Involvement in meal preparation at home is associated with better diet quality among Canadian children.

Objective: To examine the associations between home meal preparation involvement with diet quality and food group intake among children.

Methods: Grade 5 children aged 10-11 years (n = 3,398) were surveyed. Food intake was measured using the Harvard Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire, and diet quality was measured using the Diet Quality Index-International.

Fruit and vegetable preferences and intake among children in Alberta.

Purpose: The association between preference for and intake of fruits and vegetables was examined among Albertan children.

Methods: Data used were collected as part of a provincial population-based survey among grade 5 children in Alberta. Intake of two fruits and five vegetables was assessed using the Harvard food frequency questionnaire, and preference for individual fruit and vegetable items was rated using a three-point Likert-type scale.

Involvement in home meal preparation is associated with food preference and self-efficacy among Canadian children.

Objective: To examine the association between frequency of assisting with home meal preparation and fruit and vegetable preference and self-efficacy for making healthier food choices among grade 5 children in Alberta, Canada.

Design: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Children were asked how often they helped prepare food at home and rated their preference for twelve fruits and vegetables on a 3-point Likert-type scale.

A qualitative study to explore how parental expectations and rules influence beverage choices in early adolescence.

Objective: To understand parent beverage expectations for early adolescents (EAs) by eating occasion at home and in various settings.

Methods: Descriptive study using focus group interviews and the constant comparative method for qualitative data analysis.

Results: Six focus groups were completed, and 2 were conducted in Spanish.

Time spent in home meal preparation affects energy and food group intakes among midlife women.

Time spent in meal preparation may be indicative of the healthfulness of meals and therefore with weight status. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between amount of time spent preparing meals and meal food group and nutrient content by meal occasion (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) among 1036 midlife women. Participants completed a 1-day food record and eating occasion questionnaires for each meal occasion.

School foodservice personnel's struggle with using labels to identify whole-grain foods.

Objective: To describe how school foodservice personnel use current labeling methods to identify whole-grain products and the influence on purchasing for school meals.

Methods: Focus groups explored labeling methods to identify whole-grain products and barriers to incorporating whole-grain foods in school meals. Qualitative analysis procedures and the constant comparative method were used to analyze data.

Acceptance of two US Department of Agriculture commodity whole-grain products: a school-based study in Texas and Minnesota.

Whole-grain intake among children and adolescents is below national recommendations, prompting efforts to increase intake in schools. The purpose of this study was to compare the acceptance of whole-grain pancakes and tortillas to refined grain counterparts when served as part of the school meal. Data were collected at 10 schools in Minnesota and seven schools in Texas during the Spring and Fall semesters of 2009.