Association between lifestyle, parental smoke, socioeconomic status, and academic performance in Japanese elementary school children: the Super Diet Education Project

BACKGROUND@#Health and education are closely linked. However, few studies have explored the correlates of children's academic performance in Japan. We aimed to investigate comprehensively the associations of low academic performance among school children with lifestyles, parental smoke, and socioeconomic status.@*METHODS@#In 2016, children aged 6 to 13 years from the Super Diet Education School Project were surveyed using questionnaires. The survey explored the lifestyles and subjective academic performance of 1663 children and asked their parents about parental smoke and subjective socioeconomic status. Academic performance and socioeconomic status were divided into three levels. Then, we defined subjective academic performance in the lower two levels as low academic performance. The odds ratios (OR) were analyzed by logistic regression analysis.@*RESULTS@#Among all participants, 299 (18.0%) children reported low academic performance. In general, low academic performance was significantly associated with late wakeup time (OR = 1.36 for 6:30 to < 7 a.m. and OR = 2.48 for ≥ 7 a.m.), screen time ≥ 2 h (OR = 1.35), studying at home < 1 h (OR = 1.82), paternal smoke (OR = 1.47), maternal smoke (OR = 1.87), and low socioeconomic status (OR = 1.48). Analyses stratified by grade showed stronger associations between academic performance and socioeconomic status in senior (OR = 1.62 for middle, OR = 1.52 for low in grades 4 to 6) than in junior children (OR = 1.15 for middle, OR = 1.38 for low in grades 1 to 3).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Children's lifestyles, parental smoke, and socioeconomic status were significantly associated with low academic performance among Japanese children. Parents and health care providers should take these findings into consideration to prevent children from having low academic performance.

Effects of Korean diet control nutrition education on cardiovascular disease risk factors in patients who underwent cardiovascular disease surgery / 한국영양학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to verify the effects of increases in consuming Korean food in patients who underwent cardiovascular disease (CVD) surgery based on a Korean diet control education program and to investigate the effects of Korean diet control nutrition education on risk factors of CVD, changes in amounts of medication, and nutritional intakes. METHODS: The subjects consisted of 15 patients who have undergone CVD surgery within three years and continuously taken cardiovascular drugs. The Korean traditional diet (KTD) emphasizes intake of vegetables and fermented foods to lower saturated fat and cholesterol intake. We applied a KTD education program that included a modified DASH (The dietary approaches to stop hypertension) diet for cardiovascular disease patients. Korean diet control education was then applied to the patients for 12 weeks to evaluate the risk factors of CVD and the state of nutritional intakes. RESULTS: The Korean diet control compliance score increased significantly (p < 0.001) as Korean diet control education was implemented. Additionally, the obesity indexes, waist circumference (WC) (p = 0.002) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) decreased significantly (p < 0.001) after subjects received the education. Moreover, the glycemic control index, HbA1c, was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) from 7.3 ± 1.0% before the education to 7.0 ± 1.1% after the education. Changes in the amounts of Korean diet intake consisted of significant increases in cooked rice with whole grains, narmuls (vegetables either raw or cooked), kimchi, and traditional fermented foods following the education. Moreover, the nutritional intake after the education showed significant decreases (p < 0.05) in animal protein, animal lipids, and cholesterol. However, the intakes of Na, K, dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and folic acid were significantly increased. CONCLUSION: The active encouragement of consuming Korean food and the intervention of implementing diet control education positively affected nutritional intake, the obesity index and glycemic control of patients who have undergone CVD surgery.

The Effects of Brief Diet Education in Office on Body Weight and Blood Pressure in Olders

BACKGROUND: It is one of the important strategies to maintain a appropriate body weight and blood pressure by diet and exercise for the elderly. But there is some difficulties to perform the specific diet therapy continuously at the primary medical environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the brief diet education by physician on body weight and blood pressure for the elderly at the out patient clinic. METHOD: A retrospective design reviewing medical record with elderly(60 and over 60 years) men and women(N=110) from who had complete medical record when they visited first and revisited. 70 samples(education group) attended at the diet education with physician, 40 samples were non education group. For education group, we performed general diet principal, and investigated the change of body weight, diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure at the first visit, one month, and three month. RESULT: there was significant difference on the both group's body weight, diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure according to diet education. Body weight, diastolic blood pressure and systolic blood pressure were decreased average 0.98+/-2.01 kg, 10.33+/-15.60mmHg, 4.97+/-9.16 mmHg on education group, but there is no significant difference on non education group. CONCLUSION: A brief diet education can be a very useful method for management of body weight and blood pressure for the elderly in the way of cost-effectiveness. Also we can obtain more higher educational effect with regular practice.