Programming Physical Activity in Young Infants At-Risk for Early Onset of Obesity

2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 221-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale A. Ulrich ◽  
Janet L. Hauck
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Motor Development ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Postnatal Life ◽  
Innovative Strategies ◽  
Young Infants ◽  
Single Strategy

The purpose of this article is to discuss the growing problem of very early onset of obesity occurring before two years of age and to review infant motor development, physical activity, and effective pediatric disability motor interventions that may offer potential strategies to help reduce this growing problem earlier in life. Based on the review of physical activity interventions used with infants with a disability, we will propose strategies to consider to program early physical activity exposures into nondisabled young infants who are at risk for obesity. These proposed physical activity strategies will need to be combined with successful public health approaches to reducing early onset of obesity during infancy. Lucas (1991) conceived the termprogrammingreferring to permanent or extended effects of an environmental exposure occurring during a sensitive developmental period. In this paper, we propose that a very sensitive period for early onset of obesity is the first six months of postnatal life. If innovative strategies to increase the frequency of daily exposures to physical activity in young infants can be identified, these strategies could be combined with current public health approaches to preventing obesity in women before, during, and following pregnancy. Given the complexity of the obesity problem, no single strategy for prevention should be expected to be very successful.

scholarly journals Early Intensive Postural and Movement Training Advances Head Control in Very Young Infants

2012 ◽  
Vol 92 (7) ◽  
pp. 935-947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Min Lee ◽  
James Cole Galloway
Keyword(s):  
Motor Development ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Postnatal Life ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Term Infants ◽  
Young Infants ◽  
Head Control ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Background Daily experiences are thought to play an important role in motor development during infancy. There are limited studies on the effect of postural and movement experiences on head control. Objective The purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of postural and movement experiences on head control through a comprehensive set of measurements beginning when infants were 1 month old. Design This was a prospective, longitudinal, 2-cohort study. Methods Twenty-two full-term infants who were healthy were randomly assigned to either a training group or a control group. Infants were observed every other week from 1 to 4 months of age. Head control was assessed using a standardized developmental assessment tool, the Test of Infant Motor Performance (TIMP), as well as behavioral coding and kinematics of infants' head postures and movements in a supported sitting position. Caregivers performed at least 20 minutes of daily postural and movement activities (training group), or social interaction (control group) for 4 weeks. Results The training group had higher TIMP scores on head control–related items during the training period and after training stopped compared with the control group. Starting from the during training phase, the training group infants had their heads in a vertical and midline position longer compared with the control group infants. After training stopped, the training group infants actively moved their heads forward more often and for larger distances. Limitations The experiences outside daily training were not monitored, and the results may be specific to the experimental setup for infants with typical development. Conclusions Young infants are able to take advantage of postural and movement experiences to rapidly advance their head control as early as 4 to 6 weeks of postnatal life. Infant positioning, caregiver handling, and caregiver-infant interactions were likely contributing factors. This database of comprehensive measures may be useful in future trials focused on head control in infants with special needs.

scholarly journals Early Supplementary Feeding, Child Development, and Health Policy

1994 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernesto Pollitt ◽  
Se-Young Oh
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Motor Development ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Supplementary Feeding ◽  
Young Infants ◽  
At Risk Populations

We carried out a meta-analysis of six field studies that assessed the effects of supplementary feeding on infants’ performance on mental and motor development scales— conducted in nutritionally at-risk populations in Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Jamaica, Taiwan, and the United States—which showed that early high energy and protein supplementary feeding has a beneficial effect on motor development in young infants (8–15 months old) and on both motor and mental development in older infants (1824 months old) who are nutritionally at risk. These findings provide justification for food assistance programmes targeted to young at-risk children. However, positive findings in field studies do not guarantee that similar results will be achieved by large-scale programmes, as complex bureaucracies and inadequate infrastructure are often obstacles to success.

scholarly journals Weight-Related Teasing of Adolescents Who Are Primarily Obese: Roles of Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance and Physical Activity Self-Efficacy

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 1540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn E. Ievers-Landis ◽  
Carly Dykstra ◽  
Naveen Uli ◽  
Mary Ann O’Riordan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Body Image ◽  
Weight Management ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Sociocultural Attitudes ◽  
Management Interventions ◽  
Z Scores

Adolescents who are obese are at risk for being teased about their appearance with the concomitant negative psychological sequelae. Identifying modifiable variables associated with teasing could inform pediatric weight-management interventions. Characterizing society’s role in the victimization of these at-risk individuals could guide anti-bullying programs for schools and broader public health efforts. This study aims to examine novel societal and cognitive factors associated with weight-related teasing frequency. Participants were adolescents (N = 334) being evaluated for a hospital-affiliated weight-management program. The outcome was perceived weight-related teasing frequency. Predictors were sociocultural awareness and internalization of appearance-related attitudes, physical activity self-efficacy, and psychological functioning. Multivariate regressions controlled for demographics and body mass index (BMI) z-scores with separate regressions testing interactions of BMI z-scores with all predictors. In adjusted analyses, higher physical activity self-efficacy and fewer depressive symptoms related to lower teasing frequency. Interactions indicated that less awareness/internalization of sociocultural attitudes towards appearance, more positive body image, and higher self-esteem related to lower teasing frequency regardless of BMI. Targeted interventions and public health campaigns should be developed and tested for adolescents that improve body image with promotion of diverse views about attractiveness, bolster confidence in overcoming physical activity barriers, and identify and treat mood symptoms.

scholarly journals Alcohol Consumption and Behavioral Consequences in Romanian Medical University Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7531
Author(s):  
Bogdana Adriana Nasui ◽  
Monica Popa ◽  
Anca Dana Buzoianu ◽  
Anca Lucia Pop ◽  
Valentin Nicolae Varlas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Illicit Drug ◽  
Illicit Drug Use ◽  
Major Public Health Problem ◽  
Behavioral Consequences

Alcohol consumption is a major public health problem facing universities. The objectives of the present study were to investigate alcohol consumption and the behaviors associated with it among Romanian university medical students, with particular reference to sex differences, behavioral consequences, and lifestyle patterns. We performed a cross-sectional study on 722 medical students (60.4% females; 39.6% males); the participants filled out a validated questionnaire containing the following items co-occurring with alcohol consumption: smoking, illicit drug use, energy drink consumption, and other behavioral drinking consequences. Physical activity was estimated using the IPAQ questionnaire. We statistically analyzed the interrelation between alcohol consumption and target factors. The present study showed a high percentage of at-risk drinkers among male (15.0%) and female medical students (14.9%) in the studied group. Male students reported higher illicit drug use and physical activity than female students, but the at-risk female drinkers’ group consumed more drugs than the low-risk female drinkers. Both male and female drinkers engaged in other risky behaviors correlated with drinking (e.g., smoking, low academic performance, and driving a car after drinking). Public health policies, strategies, and interventions should be initiated to reduce alcohol consumption and associated behaviors in medical students.

Perceptions of Physical Activity in American-Indian Youth at Risk for Diabetes

Diabetes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 1357-P
Author(s):  
HEATHER KIMBLEY ◽  
JENNIFER CHADWICK ◽  
CHARLOTTE L. COLEMAN ◽  
MARY A. TULLIER ◽  
LISA D. WOLBERT ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
At Risk ◽  
American Indian ◽  
American Indian Youth ◽  
Youth At Risk

Recent Advances in Treatment of Childhood Obesity

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (14) ◽  
pp. 1072-1078
Author(s):  
Walter Milano ◽  
Paola Ambrosio ◽  
Francesca Carizzone ◽  
Walter Di Munzio ◽  
Valeria De Biasio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Bariatric Surgery ◽  
Childhood Obesity ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Family Context ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Biological Factors ◽  
The Family

: Childhood obesity has assumed epidemic proportions and is currently one of the most widespread public health problems. Many are the factors involved in the pathogenesis of excess weight with interactions between genetic, environmental and biological factors and therefore, also the therapeutic approach must be multidisciplinary and multidimensional. In this review of the literature, we report the contiguity of childhood obesity with eating disorders and the importance of involving the family context in order to induce stable lifestyle changes, both in relation to dietary and nutritional habits, but also in increasing physical activity. Finally, among the therapeutic options, although for selected cases, pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery can be used as treatment strategies.

scholarly journals Identifying and bridging the knowledge-to-practice gaps in rehabilitation professionals working with at-risk infants in the public health sector of South Africa: a multimethod study protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e039242
Author(s):  
Pragashnie Govender
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Neonatal Intensive Care ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Critical Time ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Sector

IntroductionEarly childhood is a critical time when the benefits of early interventions are intensified, and the adverse effects of risk can be reduced. For the optimal provision of early intervention, professionals in the field are required to have specialised knowledge and skills in implementing these programmes. In the context of South Africa, there is evidence to suggest that therapists are ill-prepared to handle the unique challenges posed in neonatal intensive care units and wards with at-risk infants in the first few weeks of life. This is attributed to several reasons; however, irrespective of the causative factors, the need to bridge this knowledge-to-practice gap remains essential.Methods and analysisThis study is a multimethod stakeholder-driven study using a scoping review followed by an appreciative inquiry and Delphi process that will aid in the development, implementation and evaluation of a knowledge translation intervention to bridge knowledge-gaps in occupational and physiotherapists working in the field. Therapists currently working in the public health sector will be recruited for participation in the various stages of the study. The analysis will occur via thematic analysis for qualitative data and percentages and frequencies for descriptive quantitative data. Issues around trustworthiness and rigour, and reliability and validity, will be ensured within each of the phases, by use of a content validity index and inter-rater reliability for the Delphi survey; thick descriptions, peer debriefing, member checking and an audit trail for the qualitative data.Ethics and disseminationThe study has received full ethical approval from the Health Research and Knowledge Management Directorate of the Department of Health and a Biomedical Research Ethics Committee. The results will be published in peer-reviewed academic journals and disseminated to the relevant stakeholders within this study.

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