Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Jul 2003
Does early physical activity predict body fat change throughout childhood?
Declining levels of physical activity in the population at large may be responsible in part for the rising rates of childhood obesity. Studies to date, however, have not consistently demonstrated such a protective effect. We used longitudinal data from the Framingham Children's Study (FCS) to address this important question. ⋯ This longitudinal study adds strong support for the hypothesis that higher levels of physical activity during childhood lead to the acquisition of less body fat by the time of early adolescence.
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Preventive medicine · Jul 2003
Impact of economic policies on reducing tobacco use among Medicaid clients in New York.
New York State (NYS) recently implemented Medicaid coverage for prescription pharmacologic adjuncts for cessation and a 55-cent excise tax on a pack of cigarettes. This study examined awareness and use of stop smoking medications and changes in smoking/purchasing behavior among Medicaid clients. ⋯ The majority of Medicaid clients report a desire to stop smoking, but these economic influences alone are insufficient to substantially reduce smoking in this population. These findings emphasize the importance of allocating a portion of tobacco tax revenue to promote both expanded awareness of this prescription benefit among Medicaid clients and to support programs to further assist low-income smokers in their attempts to stop smoking.
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Preventive medicine · Jul 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialRandomized controlled trial of the effects of nurse case manager and community health worker interventions on risk factors for diabetes-related complications in urban African Americans.
African Americans suffer disproportionately from diabetes complications, but little research has focused on how to improve diabetic control in this population. There are also few or no data on a combined primary care and community-based intervention approach. ⋯ Combined NCM/CHW interventions may improve diabetic control in urban African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Although results were clinically important, they did not reach statistical significance. This approach deserves further attention as a means to reduce the excess risk of diabetic complications in African Americans.
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Preventive medicine · Jul 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialNew Moves: a school-based obesity prevention program for adolescent girls.
This study tests the feasibility of an innovative school-based program for obesity prevention among adolescent girls. New Moves was implemented as a multicomponent, girls-only, high-school physical education class. ⋯ New Moves was well received and fills a needed niche within school physical education programs. An expanded intervention and evaluation is needed to enhance and assess long-term program effectiveness.