Identifying dietary patterns in Irish schoolchildren and their association with nutritional knowledge and markers of health before and after intervention

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Alison Merrotsy ◽  
Aoife L. McCarthy ◽  
Sean Lacey ◽  
Tara Coppinger

Abstract The aim of the study was to identify dietary patterns (DP) and examine differences in anthropometric measures, blood pressure (BP), cardiorespiratory fitness and nutritional knowledge of 6- and 10-year-old children at baseline and following a nutrition and physical activity intervention, with respect to DP and treatment group. This is a longitudinal study. Food diary, nutritional knowledge questionnaire and 550-m walk/run test measured dietary intake, nutritional knowledge and cardiorespiratory fitness, respectively. BP, weight, height and waist circumference were also measured and BMI and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were derived. All measurements were performed at baseline and following intervention. Two primary schools (one intervention, one control) in Cork, Ireland, were selected. Participants were 6- (n 39, age 5·9 (sd 0·6) years) and 10- (n 49, age 9·8 (sd 0·5) years)-year-olds. Two DP were identified, using k-means cluster analysis, for both 6- (unhealthy and nutrient-dense) and 10-year-olds (processed and Western diet) at baseline. DP derived post-intervention were (1) plant-based and (2) processed foods for 6-year-olds and (1) nutrient-dense and (2) unhealthy for 10-year-olds. There was no statistically significant difference in DP for 6- and 10-year-olds at baseline and post-intervention (P > 0·05). Following the intervention, a multivariate ANOVA showed there were no statistically significant differences in nutritional knowledge, BMI, WHtR, cardiorespiratory fitness and BP based on DP and intervention/control group for both age groups (P > 0·05). Three out of four dietary patterns identified for 6- and 10-year-olds were unfavourable. While no statistically significant evidence of intervention impact was found on DP, a positive trend was emerging among 10-year-olds.

Author(s):  
Ewan Thomas ◽  
Antonino Bianco ◽  
Garden Tabacchi ◽  
Carlos Marques da Silva ◽  
Nuno Loureiro ◽  
...  

Background: Physical fitness in youth is a predictor of health in adulthood. The main objective of the present study was to understand if an enriched sport activity program could increase physical fitness in a population of schoolchildren. Methods: In a sample of 672 children aged 10.0 ± 1.90 years, different motor skills were tested by the 1 kg and 3 kg ball throw (BT), the standing broad jump (SBJ), the 30 m sprint (30mS), the leger shuttle run (LSR), the illinois agility test (IGT), and the quadruped test (QT). Within the controlled-trial, the intervention group (ESA) underwent an additional warm-up protocol, which included cognitive enhancing elements, for 14 weeks while the control group continued with ordinary exercise activity. Results: A significant increase was present regarding the 1 kg and 3 kg BT, the SBJ, the 30mS, and the IGT, while no significant difference was shown regarding the QT and the LSR in the ESA group between pre and post intervention. In the control group, no differences were present for any test except for the QT and the LSR post-test. Conclusion: A 14-week structured physical intervention had moderate effects regarding throwing, jumping, sprinting, and agility in a sample of schoolchildren.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Younes Lotfi ◽  
Mahdieh Hasanalifard ◽  
Abdollah Moossavi ◽  
Enayatollah Bakhshi ◽  
Mohammad Ajalloueyan

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of “Spatially separated speech in noise” auditory training on the ability of speech perception in noise among bimodal fitting users. The assumption was that the rehabilitation can enhance spatial hearing and hence speech in noise perception. This study was an interventional study, with a pre/post-design. Speech recognition ability was assessed with the specific tests. After performing the rehabilitation stages in the intervention group, the speech tests were again implemented, and by comparing the pre- and post-intervention data, the effect of auditory training on the speech abilities was assessed. Twenty-four children of 8–12 years who had undergone cochlear implantation and continuously used bimodal fitting were investigated in two groups of control and intervention. Results The results showed a significant difference between the groups in different speech tests after the intervention, which indicated that the intervention group have improved more than the control group. Conclusion It can be concluded that “Spatially separated speech in noise” auditory training can improve the speech perception in noise in bimodal fitting users. In general, this rehabilitation method is useful for enhancing the speech in noise perception ability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Santa Maria ◽  
C. Markham ◽  
S. M. Misra ◽  
D. C. Coleman ◽  
M. Lyons ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Parents play a pivotal role in adolescent sexual health and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Nurses are on the frontlines of healthcare and play a critical role in promoting HPV vaccination and parent-child sexual health communication. We enhanced the Families Talking Together (FTT) parent-based sexual health curriculum to include adolescent vaccinations herein, FTT + HPV, and trained student nurses to provide a strong HPV vaccination and parent-child sexual health communication endorsement. Methods Using a randomized attention-controlled trial design, we examined the efficacy of FTT + HPV among 519 parents and their 11–14 year old youth recruited from medically underserved communities between 2015 and 2018. Participants were recruited from 22 after-school programs (e.g., Boys and Girls Clubs) and 19 charter schools. For parents, we examined protective factors including parent-child sexual health communication and parental involvement. For youth, we examined sexual health knowledge, parent-child sexual health communication, and parent-child connectedness. To assess HPV vaccination initiation and completion, we searched IMMTRAC immunization registry records for 85% of youth and used parental report for youth without registry records. Group differences were calculated using the estimated mean difference at one- and six months post-intervention with significance set at the p < 0.05 level. Results Baseline rates of HPV vaccination were low at 55.7%. No significant difference between the groups was seen in vaccination initiation or completion rates by one-month post-intervention. However, by six-months post intervention, there was a significant difference between the groups with 70.3% of the intervention group initiating the HPV vaccination series vs. 60.6% for the control group (p = 0.02). No difference between the groups was found for HPV series completion at six-months. There were significant differences in condom knowledge (p = 0.04), parent-child connectedness (p = 0.04), and communication frequency (p = 0.001) with greater improvement in the intervention vs. the control group. Rates of sexual activity remained low in both groups throughout the six-month follow-up period. Conclusion A brief parent-based adolescent sexual health and HPV vaccination intervention delivered by student nurses can improve sexual health outcomes including protective parental factors, adolescent sexual health knowledge, and HPV vaccination initiation rates. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02600884. Prospectively registered September 1, 2015.


Author(s):  
Kate E Murray ◽  
Veronica Anne Hellier Villafana ◽  
Amina Sheik Mohamed ◽  
Sarah Linke ◽  
Deborah J Bowen ◽  
...  

Abstract Despite growing numbers in the USA, immigrant populations are underrepresented in existing physical activity (PA) research, in particular Muslim immigrant women. The current study is a pilot evaluation of a culturally adapted evidence-based PA intervention for adult Somali women. Stratified randomization was used to assign participants from a sample of 27 Somali women, aged 18 to 65, to a PA group or a waitlist control group. Bicultural Somali community research team members delivered a 12-week culturally adapted intervention available in English and Somali in a community-based setting. Process and outcome evaluation assessed changes in PA, self-efficacy for PA, access to PA resources, and wellbeing as well as feasibility and satisfaction with the program. Participants in the PA group increased their moderate to vigorous PA significantly more than those from the waitlist group from baseline to post-intervention (2 (SD = 15) to 100 (SD = 53) vs 12 (SD = 21) to 32 (SD = 44) minutes per week). Participants in the PA group had significantly greater scores in wellbeing at post-intervention compared to the waitlist group though there was no significant change from pre- to post-intervention for either group. Participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the program and preliminary evidence supports the general feasibility and acceptability of the program. Findings show that a culturally adapted intervention increased engagement in PA and was feasible and acceptable within a pilot sample of Somali women.


Author(s):  
Byamukama Topher ◽  
Keraka M. Margaret ◽  
Gitonga Eliphas

Background: Immunization is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions to reduce child mortality and morbidity associated with infectious diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the perceptions of caregivers on immunization in Ntungamo district.Methods: Quasi-experimental study was used with health centres assigned to intervention and control groups. Purposive sampling was used to select the two counties where the study was done. Proportional sampling was done to get study samples from each health facility, while systematic sampling was done to get study participants. A total of 787 children from twelve health facilities provided the study sample. A post intervention evaluation was conducted to determine the effect of these interventions. Association of variables was tested using Mann Whitney U-test and Chi-square.Results: On benefits, most caregivers in the intervention group (85.3%) and in the control group (54.3%) regarded immunization as very highly and moderately beneficial to their children respectively. On risks, most caregivers in the intervention group (85.5%) and control group (43.1%) regarded the risk factor associated with immunization as very low and moderate respectively. From hypothesis testing, there was a significant difference on the perceived benefits and risks of immunization between the intervention and control group.Conclusions: Most caregivers in the intervention and control group regarded immunization as very highly beneficial and moderately to their children respectively. Most of the caregivers in the intervention and control group regarded the risk factor associated with immunization as very low and moderate respectively. 


2022 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Alake O.M. ◽  
Aina J. ◽  
Sodimu J.O. ◽  
Dele-Alonge O.

The objective of any educational system is to provide education for all learners with diverse needs and abilities to enable them to achieve their potential and subsequently contribute to society. Teachers are in a position to be the first to suspect that a child might have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) because they are with them for most of the day and they know how normal learners typically behave in classroom situations. One group pre-test post-test quasi-experimental study was employed for this study. The population comprised 42 teachers in the selected schools. Total enumeration was used for the study. A self-structured questionnaire was validated and used to collect data. The Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of the construct ranged from 0.741 to 0.808. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed 45.2% participants had low knowledge, 18.1% and 16.7% had moderate and high knowledge respectively at the pre-intervention stage while at the post-intervention stage, 14.3% had low knowledge score while 21.4% and 64.3% had moderate and high knowledge scores respectively. Also, at the pre-intervention stage of this study, it was found that 64.3% participants had a bad management score of ADHD while 35.7% had a good management score of ADHD. The result indicated that there is a non-significant difference in the post intervention knowledge and management of ADHD among the respondents as a p-value of 0.494 was recorded which is much greater than the alpha (α) p-value of 0.05. The study concluded that the role of teachers in the identification and management of ADHD cannot be overlooked. This shows that training and proper education of the teachers will go a long way in the management of attention deficit in the pupils. The study recommended that the management of ADHD should be included in educational programs. Also, there should be follow-up to monitor the progress of the teachers in the management of children with ADHD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 927-941
Author(s):  
Reginald A Annan ◽  
Charles Apprey ◽  
Godwin O Agyemang ◽  
Diane M Tuekpe ◽  
Odeafo Asamoah-Boakye ◽  
...  

Background: Adequate nutrition is required for growth and development in children. This study tested the effectiveness of nutrition education on knowledge and BMI-for-age (BFA) of school-aged children in the Kumasi Metropolis. Methods: Children, aged 9-13 years old were recruited from ten randomly selected primary schools in the Metropolis. The schools were randomly allocated into 3 groups: nutrition education (3 schools), physical activity (PA) education (3 schools), both interventions (2 schools), or control (2 schools). Following a baseline nutrition and PA knowledge and status assess- ment in 433 children, twice-monthly nutrition and PA education and demonstrations were carried out for 6 months, followed by a post-intervention assessment. Results: PA and nutrition knowledge improved in all groups (P<0.001); the highest improvement was among those who received both interventions (31.0%), followed by the nutrition education group (29.8%), and the least, the control group (19.1%). Overall, BFA improved by +0.36, from baseline (-0.26) to end of the intervention (+0.10, P<0.001). Within the groups, the nutrition group (+0.65, P<.001) had the highest improvement, then, both the intervention group (+0.27, P<0.001), the PA group (+0.23, P<0.001) and lastly, the control group (+0.18, P=0.001). Conclusion: Nutrition education could improve knowledge and BMI-for-age in school-aged children in Ghana. Keywords: School-aged children; nutrition education; BMI-for-age; nutrition knowledge; basic school.


2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen Clatos ◽  
Matthew Asare

The purpose of the study is to evaluate pilot sexuality education intervention for parents of children with disabilities between ages between 6 and 25 years old. A within subjects design was utilized and 15 parents of children with disabilities were recruited to receive a two-week sexuality education without a control group. A paired-samples t-test results showed that there was a significant difference between the participants’ pre-test and post intervention scores in their attitude and beliefs, sexual communication, knowledge, and self-efficacy of sexuality education among children with disabilities (all p<.001). The intervention change the participants sexual communication behavior and increased knowledge about sexuality education among parents of children with disabilities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 342-348
Author(s):  
Nishat Tabassum ◽  
Sanghamitra Jena

Study Objective: To know about the effects of cryotherapy and active stretching together and active stretching alone for improving hamstring flexibility in asymptomatic individuals. Method: 22 subjects were participated in study of the age 18 to 40. Subjects were randomly and equally assigned to static stretching and cryotherapy (group 1) and only active stretching (group 2). Subjects in each group were given stretching and cryotherapy for three weeks. Pre and post assessment of ROM was measured by the KEA, SLR and Sit and reach test. Results: After three weeks of intervention there was a significant difference between pre intervention and post intervention score in both the group but in group 1 showed significant difference between KEA, SLR and SRT variables. Conclusion: Subject who received active stretching and cryotherapy showed better improvement than the control group who received only active stretching. Hence it can be concluded that active stretching along with cryotherapy can improve hamstring flexibility than the active stretching only. Key words: Cryotherapy, flexibility, ROM, active stretching.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeideh Shahsavari ◽  
Sakineh dadipoor ◽  
Mohtasham Ghaffari ◽  
Ali Safari-Moradabadi

Abstract Background: The aim of the present study was to assess readiness to become or stay physically active according to the Stages of Change Model.Methods: The present quasi-experimental study was conducted on 100 women working in the healthcare centres of Bandar Abbas, Iran. The sampling method is clustering in type. The subjects were assigned into two groups of intervention and control. The collected data were analysed by SPSS-16 software using descriptive and inferential statistics, including independent-sample t-test, paired-sample t-test and Chi-square test.Results: Before the educational intervention, 19 subjects (0.38%) from the intervention group showed to have regular physical activity (4-5 stages). This number changed to 29 (0.58%) and 25 (0.50%) after three months and six months of intervention. A statistically significant difference was found before the intervention and 3 and 6 months afterwards (P˂.001). In the control group, no statistically significant difference was found between the pre-intervention and post-intervention (three months (P=.351) and six months (P=.687).Conclusion: The educational intervention based on the stages of behaviour change model showed to be effective in promoting the physical activity of employed women. These findings may benefit health education researchers and practitioners who tend to develop innovative theory-based interventions and strategies to increase the level of physical activity in women.


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