Using Facebook and text messaging to deliver a weight loss program to college students

OBJECTIVE

Between 31 and 35% of the college-aged population is overweight or obese, yet few weight loss trials for this population have been conducted. This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a technology-based 8-week weight loss intervention among college students.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Students (N = 52) were randomly assigned to one of the three arms: Facebook (n = 17); Facebook Plus text messaging and personalized feedback (n = 18); Waiting List control (n = 17), with assessments at 4 weeks and 8 weeks (post-treatment). Participants were 20.47 ± 2.19 years old, 86.45 ± 17.11 kg, with a body mass index of 31.36 ± 5.3 kg/m(2) . Participants were primarily female (86.5%), and the sample was racially diverse (57.7% Caucasian, 30.8% African American, 5.8% Hispanic, and 5.7% other races).

RESULTS

The primary outcome was weight loss after 8 weeks (post-treatment); 96.0% of the participants completed this assessment. At 8 weeks, the Facebook Plus group had significantly greater weight loss (-2.4 ± 2.5 kg) than the Facebook (-0.63 ± 2.4 kg) and Waiting List (-0.24 ± 2.6 kg) (both Ps < 0.05). Weight change at 8 weeks was not significantly different between the Facebook and Waiting List groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Results show preliminary efficacy and acceptability of the two active intervention arms (97.0% found the program helpful, 81.3% found the videos/handouts helpful, and 100% would recommend the program to others). Results indicate the potential for an innovative weight loss intervention that uses technology platforms (Facebook and text messaging) that are frequently used and already integrated into the cultural life of college students.

The FOXM1-PLK1 axis is commonly upregulated in oesophageal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The transcription factor FOXM1 is an important regulator of the cell cycle through controlling periodic gene expression during the G2 and M phases. One key target for FOXM1 is the gene encoding the protein kinase PLK1 and PLK1 itself acts in a positive feedback loop to phosphorylate and activate FOXM1. Both FOXM1 and PLK1 have been shown to be overexpressed in a variety of different tumour types.

METHODS

We have used a combination of RT-PCR, western blotting, tissue microarrays and metadata analysis of microarray data to study whether the FOXM1-PLK1 regulatory axis is upregulated and operational in oesophageal adenocarcinoma.

RESULTS

FOXM1 and PLK1 are expressed in oesophageal adenocarcinoma-derived cell lines and demonstrate cross-regulatory interactions. Importantly, we also demonstrate the concomitant overexpression of FOXM1 and PLK1 in a large proportion of oesophageal adenocarcinoma samples. This co-association was extended to the additional FOXM1 target genes CCNB1, AURKB and CKS1. In a cohort of patients who subsequently underwent surgery, the expression of several FOXM1 target genes was prognostic for overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

FOXM1 and its target gene PLK1 are commonly overexpressed in oesophageal adenocarcinomas and this association can be extended to other FOXM1 target genes, providing potentially important biomarkers for predicting post-surgery disease survival.

Assessment of Histopathological Response in Gastric and Gastro-Oesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Which Scoring System to Use?

Background. The standard of care for patients with operable gastric and gastro-oesophageal junction (GOJ) tumours involves neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This improves survival and reduces risk of tumour recurrence following surgery. The various grading criteria published to assess histological response to neoadjuvant treatments have never been compared in terms of their reproducibility and ability to predict survival. Methods. A study was carried out of 66 patients with gastric and GOJ (types II and III) adenocarcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy according to the MAGIC protocol. Histology slides were reviewed independently by two histopathologists using three published grading systems (Mandard, Japanese, and Becker). Histological, demographic, and survival data were collected. The kappa statistic was used to assess interobserver reproducibility. Results. Three (5%) patients had a complete pathological response. There was reasonable interobserver agreement for the grading systems: κ-scores = 0.44 (Mandard), 0.28 (Japanese), and 0.51 (Becker). Only Mandard and Becker scores provided prognostic information: 5-year overall survival rates of 100% for complete or near complete responders versus 35% for nonresponders () for both. Positive lymph nodes () and resection margins () were associated with poor survival. Conclusion. Becker’s score is most reproducible for the evaluation of histological response. Furthermore, lymph node and resection margins status provides prognostic information.

Examination of weight control practices in a non-clinical sample of college women

The current study examined healthy weight control practices among a sample of college women enrolled at an urban university (N=715; age=19.87±1.16; 77.2% Caucasian; 13.4% African American, 7.2% Asian, 2.2% other races). Participants completed measures as part of an on-line study about health habits, behaviors, and attitudes. Items from the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire were selected and evaluated with exploratory factor analysis to create a healthy weight control practices scale. Results revealed that college women, regardless of weight status, used a comparable number (four of eight) of practices. Examination of racial differences between Caucasian and African American women revealed that normal weight African American women used significantly fewer strategies than Caucasian women. Of note, greater use of healthy weight control practices was associated with higher cognitive restraint, drive for thinness, minutes of physical activity, and more frequent use of compensatory strategies. Higher scores on measures of binge and disinhibited eating, body dissatisfaction, negative affect, and depressive symptoms were associated with greater use of healthy weight control practices by underweight/normal weight but not by overweight/obese college women. Results suggest that among a sample of college females, a combination of healthy and potentially unhealthy weight control practices occurs. Implications of the findings suggest the need for effective weight management and eating disorder prevention programs for this critical developmental life stage. Such programs should be designed to help students learn how to appropriately use healthy weight control practices, as motivations for use may vary by weight status.

Effect of selenium status on the response of unfit horses to exercise

Exercise is known to increase reactive oxygen species and alter glutathione peroxidase activity (GPx), a selenoenzyme responsible for neutralising hydrogen peroxide. This study evaluated the effect of selenium (Se) status on the response of unfit horses to mild exercise. 25 mature horses received one of four dietary treatments for 29 weeks: low Se (LS, n=6), adequate Se (AS, sodium selenite, n=6), high organic Se (SP; Sel-Plex®, n=7) or high inorganic Se (SS, sodium selenite, n=6). Total dietary Se concentration for LS, AS, SP and SS was 0.06, 0.12, 0.3 and 0.3 mg/kg respectively. Blood samples were collected before and at 0, 4 and 24 h after a 36 min exercise test covering 4.41 km. Blood samples were evaluated for blood GPx, pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, serum malondialdehyde (MDA), creatine kinase (CK), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and blood pro-inflammatory cytokine expression. Data were analysed as ANOVA with repeated measures. Prior to the exercise test blood Se was higher (P<0.01) for SP and SS than AS and LS. An effect of treatment and treatment×time (P<0.05) existed for GPx. Post-exercise GPx decreased in LS and did not recover by 24 h while remaining unchanged in AS. GPx increased in SP and decreased in SS post-exercise, but both returned to pre-values at 24 h. Serum MDA was elevated at 24 h (P<0.05), but unaffected by treatment. Serum CK and AST were unaffected by Se status (P≯0.05). Pro-inflammatory cytokine expression was unaffected by Se status, although tumour necrosis factor alpha decreased immediately after exercise followed by an increase post-exercise while granzyme B was elevated immediately post-exercise (time, P<0.05). Overall Se status had minimal effects on exercise response in unfit horses. The differences in post-exercise GPx response may warrant further investigation.

The impact of weight, sex, and race/ethnicity on body dissatisfaction among urban children

The purpose of the current study was to examine the relative contributions of weight status, race/ethnicity, sex, and age on body dissatisfaction in a large group of diverse children. Participants were 4th-6th graders (N=1212) in ten inner-city schools who participated in an obesity prevention study previously published. Children completed the body dissatisfaction subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2), and weight status was assessed by measured weights and heights. Multiple regression analyses were conducted. Relative weight status was the strongest predictor of body dissatisfaction, followed by race/ethnicity, and sex. Body dissatisfaction was greatest in obese, Asian, and female children. Overall, results indicated that children's body dissatisfaction varies based on relative weight status, as well as race/ethnicity and sex among urban children. Results highlight the strong need for additional research so that more definitive conclusions may be drawn regarding the development of body image among diverse groups of children.

Google governance: increasing the effectiveness of critical care physicians through the use of an online usergroup

AIMS

The aim of this study was to describe the use of an online user group to enhance communication and productivity by critical care specialists.

METHODS

In this article, we provide a description of the first 6 months of use of an online user group by senior retrieval physicians.

RESULTS

Initially developed as a communication and online discussion tool, our online user group evolved to include a number of other utilities that support clinical governance. These included a repository for useful files, educational presentations, online rostering and "portfolio pages", updating aspects of an individual specialist's non-clinical activity. Its applications continue to evolve in number and utility. Participating physicians perceive an increase in organisational efficiency.

CONCLUSIONS

An online user group such as Google Groups may provide powerful support to an organisation's clinical governance. We recommend this tool to other services with limited administrative personnel.

Low mood and challenging behaviour in people with severe and profound intellectual disabilities

BACKGROUND

We investigated the relationship between low mood and challenging behaviour in people in the severe and profound range of intellectual disability, while controlling for the presence of potentially confounding variables such as diagnosis of autism, physical and sensory problems and ill health.

METHODS

The key workers of 52 people with severe and profound intellectual disability completed measures of depression, communication, challenging behaviour and provided information on relevant demographic and health variables.

RESULTS

Using the Mood, Interest and Pleasure Questionnaire for classification of mood, a significant difference was found between a 'low mood' and 'normothymic' group in the reported occurrence of challenging behaviour. This difference remained even when confounding variables such as the presence of autism, health and sensory difficulties were controlled. The frequency and severity of challenging behaviour was predicted by measures indicating the presence of low mood.

CONCLUSION

People with severe and profound show clear and measurable signs of low mood, and in this relatively small sample of institutionalised individuals, low mood was associated with challenging behaviour.

Behavioral and psychological factors associated with 12-month weight change in a physical activity trial

Examining behavioral and psychological factors relating to weight stability over a 1-year period is of public health importance. We conducted a physical activity (PA) intervention trial for women (N = 247; mean age = 47.5 ± 10.7; mean BMI = 28.6 ± 5.3) in which participants were assigned to one of three groups (two PA and one contact-control). By Month 12, participants achieved 140.4 ± 14.82 min of PA/week, with no group differences. Weight status change from baseline to Month 12 was categorized: no change (N = 154; 62.4%); increase (N = 34; 13.8%); decrease (N = 59; 23.9%). Discriminant function analyses indentified two statistically significant dimensions associated with weight change. Dimension 1 was positively weighted by mood (0.73) and self-efficacy (0.79); dimension 2 was positively weighted to change in physical activity (0.58) and fat consumption (0.55). Results provide further evidence for the importance of behavior in long-term weight maintenance, particularly physical activity and dietary fat. These findings also provide evidence for the importance of addressing psychosocial variables, in particular depressed mood and self-efficacy.

Am I too fat to be a princess? Examining the effects of popular children's media on young girls' body image

The current study investigated the effects of brief exposure to appearance-related media on young girls' body image. One hundred and twenty-one girls aged 3-6 years old participated. Results indicated that exposure did not affect body dissatisfaction or engagement in appearance-related play behaviours. This is the first empirical study to provide support for previous findings that suggest media exposure does not affect body image in young girls. In contrast to older populations, it is possible that young children may adopt the persona of attractive characters with whom they identify rather than comparing themselves to the characters. Although nearly all girls liked the way they looked, self-report data indicated that nearly one-third of the participants would change something about their physical appearance and nearly half of the girls worried about being fat. Exposure to appearance-related media did not exacerbate concerns.