Feasibility of student-designed, peer-led classroom physical activity breaks in graduate school

Objective: We evaluated the feasibility of Pitt Moves, a classroom-based, peer-led physical activity break (PAB) intervention developed by graduate students to improve mood, focus, and boredom among students. Participants: One hundred and thirty-two graduate-level students in 10 courses during an academic semester. Methods: Process evaluation with a formative focus involving document review, surveys, and interviews with students and facilitators. Results: Eighty-four percent of eligible students participated in ≥1 of 65 PABs. Participants said Pitt Moves provided a mental break, promoted community building, and increased their physical activity. They recommended increasing accessibility. Organizers' time was a constraint in running this program. Conclusion: Pitt Moves was feasible based on successful recruitment of participants, delivery of PABs as planned, and participant acceptability. A formal study should evaluate whether Pitt Moves can improve mood, focus, and boredom among graduate students. Organizational encouragement and audiovisuals could enhance marketing and program implementation.

Prevalence of healthy diet and activity behaviours among U.S. Latino preschool children living in an emerging Latino community

This pilot study provides preliminary insights into whether Latino preschool children living in an emerging Latino community (ELC) are meeting recommendations for healthy diet and activity behaviours and whether those behaviours are associated with sociodemographic or home environment variables. Secondary data analysis was conducted utilising cross-sectional baseline survey data from ANDALE Pittsburgh, a home-based intervention study. Measures included parent-reported information on child dietary intake, screen time and the home environment, and objectively measured physical activity and anthropometry. χ² and Fischer's exact tests were used to determine associations. The study was conducted in an ELC in western Pennsylvania in the US. Fifty-one Latina mothers (age: 33⋅5 ± 6⋅1 years; 63 % Mexican origin; 86 % low acculturation) and their children (age: 3⋅9 ± 1⋅3 years; 55 % male) 2-5 years of age. On average, children consumed 2⋅25 ± 1⋅44 cups of fruits/vegetables, viewed 98⋅7 ± 74⋅2 min of screen time, accumulated 12⋅9 ± 2⋅9 min/h of total physical activity and consumed 15⋅5 ± 26⋅0 kcals of sugar-sweetened beverages per day. Forty-one percent met the fruit/vegetable recommendation, 54 % met the screen time recommendation, 27 % met the physical activity recommendation and 58 % met the sugary drink recommendation. Country of origin (P = 0⋅032) and acculturation (P = 0⋅048) were significantly associated with children meeting sugary drink recommendations. No other relationships were significant. The proportion of children in this sample meeting diet and activity recommendations was mixed. More research with larger sample sizes is needed in ELCs to identify effective intervention strategies for improving health behaviours.

Latino Parents' Perceptions of Physical Activity and Healthy Eating: At the Intersection of Culture, Family, and Health

OBJECTIVE

To explore Latino parents' perspectives on healthy living and identify strategies to incorporate in a future child obesity intervention.

DESIGN

Descriptive, qualitative study.

SETTING

Participants were recruited from an emerging Latino community (area with low [ < 5%] yet growing concentrations of Latinos) in Allegheny County, PA.

PARTICIPANTS

Thirty-two parents of preschool children participated in 5 Spanish-language focus groups.

PHENOMENON OF INTEREST

Parents' perceptions of a healthy lifestyle (ie, physical activity and nutrition).

ANALYSIS

Data were analyzed using the constant comparison method to identify salient categories, themes, and patterns.

RESULTS

Three overarching themes were identified: (1) Healthy Living: Beyond One's Control; (2) Estamos Acostumbrados [We Are Used to a Certain Lifestyle]; and (3) Latin American and US Culture Conflict. In general, parents perceived maintaining a healthy lifestyle to require enormous effort and that change was difficult given a lack of knowledge and control.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Key intervention approaches with this population may include a focus on the family environment. Increasing knowledge, building self-efficacy, and modeling behavior through family recipe preparation and physical activity breaks may be necessary, as well as an emphasis on and orientation to community resources to support behavior change and physical activity and healthy eating habits.

Preventing Violence: A Public Health Participatory Approach to Homicide Reviews

Death review teams are a common method for assessing preventable deaths, yet they rarely review adult homicides and do not typically include community members. Academic-community partnerships can enhance public health research by encouraging translation of research into practice and support a data-driven approach to improve community health and well-being. We describe the Pittsburgh Homicide Review Group, a community-partnered initiative to prevent future homicides through data review and community dialogue. Group members reviewed all 42 Pittsburgh 2012 homicides informed by three primary data sources: publicly available data, local service databases, and community outreach resources. Thirty-two individuals representing relevant county agencies and community groups participated in eight reviews. Data sharing among partners resulted in a comprehensive understanding of the context of homicides. Review meetings supported a collective discussion around potential contributing factors to homicides, intervention implications, and recommendations. Academic-community homicide review partnerships are a productive approach to inform homicide prevention and interventions that are relevant to communities and should be implemented widely.

A Qualitative Study on the Types and Purposes of Social Activities in Late Life

This qualitative study examines older adults' subjective views on the types and purposes of social activities. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 20 older adults, with low (n = 10) and high (n = 10) memory performance. We used grounded theory methods to analyze the narrative data. Four types of social activities-Altruism, Creativity, Game, and Motion-were identified. The purpose of social activities included enjoyment, relaxation, stimulation, and belongingness. Those in the low memory group seemed to face more barriers to participation. Different types of social activities may be important for cognitive health and well-being.

Sexual health behavior interventions for U.S. Latino adolescents: a systematic review of the literature

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To identify sexual health behavior interventions targeting U.S. Latino adolescents.

DESIGN

A systematic literature review.

SETTING

Peer-reviewed articles published between 1993 and 2011, conducted in any type of setting.

PARTICIPANTS

Male and female Latino adolescents ages 11-21 years.

INTERVENTIONS

Interventions promoting sexual abstinence, pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, and/or HIV/AIDS prevention.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Changes in knowledge, attitudes, engagement in risky sexual behaviors, rates of STIs, and/or pregnancy.

RESULTS

Sixty-eight articles were identified. Fifteen were included in this review that specifically addressed Latino adolescent sexual health behavior. Among the reviewed interventions, most aimed to prevent or reduce STI and HIV/AIDS incidence by focusing on behavior change at two levels of the social ecological model: individual and interpersonal. Major strengths of the articles included addressing the most critical issues of sexual health; using social ecological approaches; employing different strategies to deliver sexual health messages; and employing different intervention designs in diverse geographical locations with the largest population of Latino communities. Most of the interventions targeted female adolescents, stressing the need for additional interventions that target Latino adolescent males.

CONCLUSIONS

Latino adolescent sexual health is a new research field with gaps that need to be addressed in reducing negative sexual health outcomes among this population. More research is needed to produce new or validate existing, age-specific, and culturally-sensitive sexual health interventions for Latino male and female adolescents. Further, this research should also be conducted in areas of the U.S. with the newest Latino migration (e.g., North Carolina).

Parent peer education: Lessons learned from a community-based initiative for teen pregnancy prevention

PURPOSE

The Parent Peer Education program addresses a community-identified need to increase parent-child communication about sexuality, teen pregnancy prevention, and related issues. Community members are trained to lead workshops of peers on how to talk with their children about these topics.

METHODS

The program was pilot tested in 1997; three waves of workshops were conducted by 35 parent peer educators for 721 community residents between 1999 and 2002. They focused on providing information, increasing participants' comfort in discussing sexuality, and demonstrating how to use age-appropriate guidebooks. The evaluation used a pre- and post- workshop design. All participants completed a survey before the workshop, and a random sample of 25% responded to a telephone follow-up survey four weeks later. In addition, before the first wave, a random sample telephone survey was conducted of 104 parents in the community. Parent peer educators completed surveys after their training and each workshop.

RESULTS

After the workshop, participants were more likely to feel comfortable talking with their children about sexuality-related issues, talk to their children about these issues, discuss multiple topics, recognize the importance of talking with children at an early age, and use the provided guidebooks. Parent peer educators found their training valuable and enjoyed involvement in the program. Lessons learned include strategies for improving program implementation, improving program evaluation, and involving the community.

CONCLUSIONS

This program is a promising, low-cost, community-based method of promoting parent-child communication, an important element of teen pregnancy prevention.

Latinos' health care access: financial and cultural barriers

This study aimed at investigating how income, culture, and language affect health care access. Data from a structured questionnaire administered to a random sample of 206 Latinos was analyzed using multivariate logistic regression. Qualitative data served to explain quantitative results. Point estimates for various access measures were similar to national data. In multivariate logistic regression, income and education determined having health insurance (OR 6.8 and 7.4; 95% CI 2.7-17.3 and 2.9-19.0, respectively). Time in the U.S. and health insurance determined having a regular source of care (OR 4.6 and 5.8; 95% CI 1.7-12.8 and 2.1-16.0, respectively). Having a source of care and being female determined visit to the doctor in the past year (OR 6.14 and 6.73; 95% CI 2.3-16.5 and 2.4-19.3, respectively). Language and culture showed no statistically significant effect on access measures, but qualitative data showed they were related to health care barriers.