Family-focused behavioral approach to weight control in children

Ecological differences in weight, length, and weight for length of Mexican American children in the WIC program

PURPOSE

Examine factors common in the environments of children who obtain services from a WIC program to determine if differences in ecological/environmental factors can be found in the children who differ in weight, length, and weight for length.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Cross-sectional study of 300 children, 100 each who were stunted, normal weight for length, or overweight. Instruments used were NCATS, ARSMA II, 24-hr diet recall, and Baecke Activity Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Significant differences were present in children's diet, parents' BMI, parents' generation in United States, parents' activity levels, and maternal-child relationship.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Encourage parents to adopt family approaches to encourage normal body size in children.

Snoring in preschool children: prevalence and association with nocturnal cough and asthma

INTRODUCTION

The association between snoring, nocturnal cough, and allergic symptoms in young children is not known.

OBJECTIVE

To measure the prevalence of habitual snoring and its association with nocturnal cough, asthma, and hay fever in preschool children.

SETTING

A cross-sectional study.

SUBJECTS

Preschool children aged 2 to 5 years.

METHOD

The data were collected in a cross-sectional study. A total of 974 children were randomly selected from two areas of Lismore and Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, Australia.

RESULTS

The prevalence of snoring was 10.5%, with no gender difference (p = 0.99) or trend association with age (p = 0.58). The association between snoring and nocturnal cough was highly significant (odds ratio [OR], 3.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.41 to 5.63; p = 0.001). This association was significant in both the nonasthmatic and asthmatic groups when examined separately. Snoring was also significantly associated with asthma (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.34 to 3.10; p = 0.001). In subjects without hay fever, the association between snoring and asthma was also highly significant (41.2% vs 24.8%; OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.34 to 3.37; p = 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of snoring in preschool children was 10.5% for both genders. Snoring was significantly associated with both nocturnal cough and asthma. Because snoring, asthma, and nocturnal cough may have a common etiology, it is possible that effective treatment of one symptom may lead to reductions in the presence or severity of the other symptoms.