Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialDesign, implementation, and quality control in the Pathways American-Indian multicenter trial.
Pathways was the first multicenter American-Indian school-based study to test the effectiveness of an obesity prevention program promoting healthy eating and physical activity. ⋯ The Pathways study results provide evidence demonstrating the role schools can play in public health promotion. Its study design and QC systems and procedures provide useful models for other similar school based multi- or single-site studies.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2003
ReviewObesity in American-Indian children: prevalence, consequences, and prevention.
American Indians of all ages and both sexes have a high prevalence of obesity. The health risks associated with obesity are numerous and include Type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and respiratory problems. Obesity has become a major health problem in American Indians only in the past few generations and it is believed to be associated with the relative abundance of high-fat, high-calorie foods and the rapid change from active to sedentary lifestyles. ⋯ To be effective, educational and environmental interventions must be developed with full participation of the American-Indian communities.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialPathways curriculum and family interventions to promote healthful eating and physical activity in American Indian schoolchildren.
Pathways, a multisite school-based study aimed at promoting healthful eating and increasing physical activity, was a randomized field trial including 1704 American Indian third to fifth grade students from 41 schools (21 intervention, 20 controls) in seven American Indian communities. ⋯ A culturally appropriate school intervention can promote positive changes in knowledge, cultural identity, and self-reported healthful eating and physical activity in American Indian children and environmental change in school food service.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2003
Colorectal cancer screening attitudes and behavior: a population-based study.
Even though colorectal cancer (CRC) screening tests for persons 50 years of age or over are recommended to reduce colorectal cancer mortality, screening rates remain disturbingly low. ⋯ Interventions directed at physicians and patients are essential to enhance CRC screening rates. CRC survival rates may be improved by physician-guided promotion of screening that focuses on identified barriers.
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Preventive medicine · Dec 2003
The development of SisterTalk: a cable TV-delivered weight control program for black women.
Overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with black women disproportionately affected. SisterTalk is a weight control program designed specifically for delivery to black women via cable TV. The theoretical and conceptual frameworks and formative research that guided the development and cultural tailoring of SisterTalk are described. ⋯ Community networking and both qualitative and quantitative interview techniques from the fields of social marketing and cultural anthropology were used to involve black women from Boston in the design and implementation of a program that would be practical, appealing, and culturally sensitive. Also discussed are strategies for evaluating the program, and lessons learned that might have broader applicability are highlighted. The development of the SisterTalk program could provide a useful starting point for development of successful weight control programs for black women in other parts of the United States as well as for other ethnic and racial groups.