American journal of preventive medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Making policy practice in afterschool programs: a randomized controlled trial on physical activity changes.
In the U.S., afterschool programs are asked to promote moderate to vigorous physical activity. One policy that has considerable public health importance is California's afterschool physical activity guidelines that indicate all children attending an afterschool program accumulate 30 minutes each day the program is operating. Few effective strategies exist for afterschool programs to meet this policy goal. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a multistep adaptive intervention designed to assist afterschool programs in meeting the 30-minute/day moderate to vigorous physical activity policy goal. ⋯ The Strategies To Enhance Practice intervention can make meaningful changes in the proportion of children meeting the moderate to vigorous physical activity policy within one school year. Additional efforts are required to enhance the impact of the intervention.
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Hookah, or waterpipe, tobacco smoking has increased among young adults (YAs) in the U.S., but few prospective studies have examined predictors of hookah use. The current study examined correlates of hookah use and predictors of hookah initiation at a 6-month follow-up in a nationally representative, prospective sample of U.S. YAs. ⋯ Results highlight rapid transitions in hookah use and several risk factors for initiation. Future studies should examine how these factors could be used as intervention targets to reduce tobacco use in this vulnerable age group.
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Suicide rates have risen considerably in recent years. National workplace suicide trends have not been well documented. The aim of this study is to describe suicides occurring in U.S. workplaces and compare them to suicides occurring outside of the workplace between 2003 and 2010. ⋯ The upward trend of suicides in the workplace underscores the need for additional research to understand occupation-specific risk factors and develop evidence-based programs that can be implemented in the workplace.
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The explosion of technologic advances in information capture and delivery offers unparalleled opportunities to assess and modify built and social environments in ways that can positively impact health behaviors. This paper highlights some potentially transformative current and emerging trends in the technology arena applicable to environmental context-based assessment and intervention relevant to physical activity and dietary behaviors. ⋯ The paper ends with a set of challenges and opportunities for significantly advancing the field. Key areas for progress include data collection and expansion, managing technologic considerations, and working across sectors to maximize the population potential of behavioral health technologies.
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Racial/ethnic differences in recent obesity trends have not been reported among young low-income children. The purpose of this study is to examine trends in obesity prevalence from 1998 through 2011 by race/ethnicity among low-income children aged 2-4 years. ⋯ The study findings indicate modest recent declines in obesity prevalence for most racial/ethnic groups of low-income children aged 2-4 years. However, obesity prevalence remains high.