Effects of Nutritional Interventions on Cardiovascular Disease Health Outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: A Scoping Review

Nutrition interventions can support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This review examines nutritional interventions aiming to improve CVD outcomes and appraises peer-reviewed interventions using an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Quality Appraisal Tool. Five electronic databases and grey literature were searched, applying no time limit. Two reviewers completed the screening, data extraction and quality assessment independently. The study quality was assessed using the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and the Centre of Research Excellence in Aboriginal Chronic Disease Knowledge Translation and Exchange Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Quality Appraisal Tool (QAT). Twenty-one nutrition programs were included in this review. Twelve reported on anthropometric measurements, ten on biochemical and/or hematological measurements and sixteen on other outcome domains. Most programs reported improvements in measurable CVD risk factors, including reduced body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), weight, blood pressure and improved lipid profiles. Most programs performed well at community engagement and capacity strengthening, but many lacked the inclusion of Indigenous research paradigms, governance and strengths-based approaches. This review highlights the need for contemporary nutrition programs aimed at improving cardiovascular health outcomes to include additional key cultural components.

Nutrition-Related Policy Fundamentals for Supporting Older Adults in the Community during a Pandemic: Lessons from COVID-19

Nutrition is a key factor supporting healthy aging. Yet during the global COVID-19 pandemic, issuances of shelter-in-place orders, closures of senior centers and other congregate dining locations, losses of income, increases in grocery prices, and other changes have left many older adults struggling to maintain good nutrition. However, there are available solutions to improve the nutrition of millions of older adults who may be challenged to put food on the table. This commentary outlines the problems of older adult malnutrition and food insecurity and their strong correlation with COVID-19. It summarizes existing federal nutrition programs for older adults, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Older Americans Act (OAA) nutrition programs and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s means-tested nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The commentary also contains lessons from community-based OAA nutrition programs that refocused some of their nutrition services and other supportive services during the COVID-19 pandemic to better serve socially distancing, newly homebound older adults. It explores pre- and post-COVID-19 policy actions and opportunities for improving the nutrition, health, and well-being of community-dwelling older Americans during the current pandemic and beyond, including the need for more federal funding and flexibility for older adult nutrition programs, the need for improvements to older adult access to these programs, and the need for more older adult nutrition screening and intervention.

Models of physical education in US school education (late XX - early XXI century)

For Ukrainian pedagogy, it is important to analyze the experience of ways to implement the task in US physical education practice, in which sport is one of the integrative means of forming students' universal, social and personal values, and not only a means of increasing motor activity. The purpose - a comprehensive analysis of models of physical education popular in US schools (late XX - early XXI century.)During 1991-2020, the system of physical education and sports in the United States was transformed in the direction of expanding the opportunities for the formation of important universal values in students. There are many well-developed educational models in the country, which are aimed at increasing both physical and technical fitness, students' awareness of the importance of physical activity for health, and the formation of other values (teamwork, leadership, honesty, self-control, etc.). Widespread in the specified period were such models of education as:Teaching Physical and Social Responsibility Through Physical Activity – TPSR, Teaching Games for the Understanding, Sports, Play, and Active Recreation for Kids – SPARK. The main goal of the Teaching Physical and Social Responsibility Through Physical Activity - TPSR model is to help adolescents control themselves using the active environment that arises during sports, be responsible for their actions and support others.The main conceptual provisions of the Teaching Games for the Understanding model are learning games through the game; formation of informed performers; the importance of each participant in the game; taking into account the level of skill development and challenges facing participants.The goal of the Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids model is to improve the health of children and adolescents by engaging them in physical activity and using special nutrition programs. The program enables teachers to constantly improve, systematically supports them with information, and provides the necessary equipment.

Quantifying the Onset of Unintended Weight Loss in Huntington’s Disease: A Retrospective Analysis of Enroll-HD

Background: Unintended weight loss and decreased body mass indexes (BMIs) are common symptoms of individuals with manifest HD. It is unknown at what point during disease progression weight loss starts to accelerate relative to a healthy individual’s weight and when recommended interventions should be initiated to have the strongest impact on patient care. Objective: The objective of this study was to identify a point in time relative to age at motor onset when the decline in weight in HD starts to accelerate relative to a non-HD population. The relationship between initiation of weight loss interventions and changes in weight loss was also explored. Methods: Participants from the fifth version of the Enroll-HD study were identified for this research. Linear mixed-effects piecewise regression models were used to estimate the point in time relative to the reported age of motor onset in which BMI started to decline in participants with HD compared to healthy non-HD controls. A post-hoc descriptive analysis was performed to look at when nutritional supplements and swallow therapy were initiated in participants with HD relative to motor onset. Results: BMI decline in the HD group began to accelerate compared to controls approximately 5.7 years after the reported age of motor onset (95% CI: 4.7–6.9). The average initiation times of swallow therapy and nutritional supplements were 7.7 years (SD = 5.5 years) and 6.7 years (SD = 6.5 years) after motor onset, respectively. Conclusion: Our findings suggest a potential point for intervention of nutrition programs or therapies used to prevent future weight loss.

How does Governance Impact Malnutrition ? A Close Look at Factors Associated with Underweight in Children Under 5 Years in Ghana

Undernutrition remains a barrier to achieving the sustainable development goals in most developing countries. The United Nations identified that, the right mix of policies and actions that addresses the numerous, interrelated causes of hunger and undernutrition will be able to achieve Zero Hunger thereby ending hunger and undernutrition . In Ghana, 11% of all children under the age of 5years are underweight. Nutrition programs are traditionally funded through the government of Ghana budgetary allocations, to pay salaries and for the supply of logistics, and training. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of human resource capacity and budgetary expenditure on nutrition program outcomes for children under five years using in-depth interviews, anthropometric data on age and weight and data on nutrition human resource and expenditure in three regions from 2014 to 2017 in Ghana. The paper finds using linear mixed effects modeling that human and financial resources are not significant predictors of underweight besides, there are externalities in the implementation of nutrition programs for children under 5years due to poor targeting and information asymmetries, resulting in excludability in consumption of nutrition services, therefore nutrition programs may not be well-coordinated, and implemented pointing to government failure. Mother support groups contributed in reducing undernutrition in children under 5years through the cultivation and consumption of nutrition-sensitive agriculture value chain products .

Considerations for Monitoring School Health and Nutrition Programs

School health and nutrition (SHN) interventions are among the most ubiquitous public health investments and comprise a key mechanism for reaching populations that are otherwise difficult to reach through the health system. Despite the critical role of monitoring these multisectoral programs to enable data-informed adaptive programming, information to guide program implementers is scant. This manuscript provides an overview of how monitoring indicators can be selected across a SHN program's logical framework, with specific examples across five SHN implementation models. Adaptation of SHN programs in times of school closures, such as those currently being experienced globally due to the emergence of COVID-19, is also addressed. Key aspects of SHN program monitoring are explored, including: (1) why monitor; (2) what to measure; (3) how to measure; and (4) who measures. In situations of school closures, strategies to shift both program activities and corresponding monitoring mechanisms are critical to understanding the rapidly evolving situation and subsequently guiding policy actions to protect vulnerable populations.

Maintaining Weight Loss in Obese Men with Prostate Cancer Following a Supervised Exercise and Nutrition Program—A Pilot Study

Supervised exercise and nutrition programs can mitigate or reverse androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) induced fat mass (FM) gain, lean mass (LM) loss, and impaired physical function. It is unclear whether these benefits are retained following transition to self-management. This study examined the effect of a home-based weight maintenance program on body composition and physical function in obese men with prostate cancer (PCa) on ADT following a 12-week supervised weight loss intervention. Eleven obese PCa patients (74 ± 5 years, 40.0 ± 4.9% body fat) on ADT (>6 months) completed a 12-week self-managed home-based weight maintenance program consisting of 150 min/week of aerobic and resistance training while maintaining a healthy balanced diet. Body composition (DXA), muscle strength (1RM), and cardiorespiratory fitness (400 m walk) were assessed. Significant reductions in weight (−2.8 ± 3.2 kg) and FM (−2.8 ± 2.6 kg), preservation of LM (−0.05 ± 1.6 kg), and improvements in muscle strength and VO2max were achieved across the supervised intervention. Across the home-based program, no significant changes were observed in weight (−0.6 ± 2.8 kg, p = 0.508), FM (0.2 ± 1.4 kg, p = 0.619), LM (−0.8 ± 1.6 kg, p = 0.146), muscle strength (−0.2 to 4.1%, p = 0.086–0.745), or estimated VO2max (0.3 ± 2.1 mL/min/kg, p = 0.649). Self-managed, home-based exercise and nutrition programs are a viable strategy to promote maintenance of body composition and physical function following a supervised intervention in obese PCa patients on ADT.