Preventive medicine
-
Preventive medicine · Jul 2011
Prevalence and correlates of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior among US pregnant women.
Physical activity is recommended for pregnant women without medical or obstetric complications. This study described the prevalence and correlates of objectively-measured physical activity and sedentary behavior among United States pregnant women. ⋯ Most pregnant women spent more than half of the monitored day in sedentary behaviors and did not meet recommendations for physical activity.
-
Preventive medicine · Jul 2011
Parental home smoking policies: the protective effect of having a young child in the household.
To examine selected social determinants of a home smoking policy among US households with children and whether these associations vary by the presence of a smoker and children's ages. ⋯ Parents of 6-17-year-olds are less likely to have a no smoking policy than parents of younger children. Parents with children of all ages should enact a smoking policy that promotes a smoke-free home.
-
Preventive medicine · Jul 2011
CommentWorldwide prevalence of physical inactivity calls for worldwide actions.
This commentary offers a discussion of the paper by Dumith et al. published in this issue of Preventive Medicine. ⋯ The paper by Dumith et al. provides context to help build the case for better public health organization and effort to tackle physical inactivity at a worldwide level.
-
Preventive medicine · Jun 2011
CommentCommentary: Soda taxes, obesity, and the shifty behavior of consumers.
Rising obesity is a threat to public health, and taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in order to reduce consumption and thus caloric intake could be a viable policy response. But raising the price of SSB calories will raise the quantity demanded of relatively cheaper calories, and net effect on obesity is unclear. I review the evidence on shifting calorie demand and discuss the viability of soda taxes to achieve improvements in public health.
-
Preventive medicine · Jun 2011
ReviewA review of chronic and acute physical activity participation on neuroelectric measures of brain health and cognition during childhood.
A growing body of research has detailed the beneficial relation of chronic participation in--and acute responses to--physical activity on aspects of cognition that underlie scholastic achievement. Here, we review the relevant neuroelectric findings on this beneficial relation in children, providing support for the influence of physical activity on specific cognitive processes that comprise academic performance. ⋯ Physical activity may influence brain health and cognition in children, leading to enhanced scholastic performance and greater overall effective functioning across the lifespan.