BMI and attitudes and beliefs about physical activity and nutrition of parents of adolescents with intellectual disabilities.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was: (1) to evaluate the beliefs, attitudes and behaviours associated with nutrition and physical activity of parents with adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID); (2) to determine if these variables related to the body mass index (BMI) of the adolescents and the parents' BMI; and (3) to investigate if the parents' perception of their child's weight status was accurate. METHODS: A survey was used to collect information on BMI and attitudes and beliefs about nutrition and physical activity from parents (n = 207) of adolescents with ID attending schools participating in the Best Buddies Program. RESULTS: Approximately 45% of the adolescents were overweight or obese and over two-thirds of the parents were either overweight or obese. There was a significant difference in child's BMI by parents' description, F(3,158) = 72.75, P < 0.001. Factor analysis on questions on physical activity and nutrition revealed three factors (Factor 1 - Family Healthy Habits, Factor 2 - Parental Role and Factor 3 - Parental Activity) extracting 63% of the variance. The BMI of the adolescents significantly correlated with Factors 2 and 3. Children categorised as having a lower BMI had parents who agreed significantly more (r = -0.22, P < 0.005) with questions about being role models. There was a significant correlation between BMI for both the parents and adolescents and frequency of fast foods purchased. CONCLUSION: Efforts need to be made to provide parents of adolescents with ID tailored information about how they can assist their child in managing their weight. This information should emphasise to parents the important part they play as role models and as providers for healthy choices for physical activity as well as nutrition.

Weight loss behaviors and smoking in college students of diverse ethnicity.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate weight concerns, weight-loss practices (including smoking) in an ethnically diverse group of university students (58% Hispanic). METHODS: Students (n=1,852) completed a survey addressing lifestyle behaviors and weight-control practices. RESULTS: A greater percentage of females than males practiced weight-loss behaviors. More Hispanic and non-Hispanic white students reported dieting, exercising, and using weight loss pills to lose weight. Only 4 of the females reported their primary reason for smoking was to control their weight. CONCLUSION: Gender as well as ethnicity was a dominant factor influencing weight-loss behaviors/concerns of these young adults.

Predictors of weight increases over 7 years in fire fighters and paramedics.

BACKGROUND: Excess body weight among adults is associated with increased risk of disease. Therefore, we sought predictors of weight gain that might be used to prevent increases in weight. METHODS: Participants were 438 male fire service personnel, 20-58 years of age, who filled out a questionnaire in 1984 and were weighed in 1984 and 1991. RESULTS: Sixty-five percent gained > or = 5 lb, 42.1% gained > or = 10 lb, and 26.1% gained > or = 15 lb. Unmarried fire fighters gained 11.7 lb; those married or living as married gained 7.0 lb (P < 0.001). Black non-Hispanics increased by 15.7 lb, white Hispanics by 8.9 lb, and white non-hispanics by 6.7 lb (P < 0.001). New ex-smokers gained 13.0 lb; all other fire fighters gained 7.7 lb (P < 0.004). Fire fighters who reported eating "faster" at the station than elsewhere gained 9.9 lb compared with 6.8 lb for all others (P < 0.006). Those worried over financial security gained 11.2 lb versus nonworriers who gained 7.4 lb (P < 0.005). CONCLUSION: Prevention programs will reach fire fighters likely to gain the most weight if aimed at those who are unmarried, younger, black, recent ex-smokers, fast eaters, and experiencing certain stressful life events.

Response rates to six recruitment mailing formats and two messages about a nutrition program for women 50-79 years old.

Recruiting participants for large prevention trials is time consuming and costly. In order to test various recruitment techniques, we conducted two studies of response rates to recruitment mailings for the Women's Health Trial. The potential participants, 50- to 79-year-old women, were requested to return an enclosed postcard to learn more about the trial. In the first study, we sent at random either a short or a long message to a group of University of Miami personnel (N = 862) and a Dade County cohort (N = 2964). More university women responded to the short message than to the long message (22.4% vs 16.4%, p = 0.024). Similarly, more of the Dade County cohort replied to the short message than to the long one (12.1% vs 9.6%, p = 0.027). The long message listed details of the intervention (e.g., modifying recipes) that some women may have used to decide they were not interested in participating. In the second study, we examined response rates to two different ways of addressing the mailing, i.e., handwritten envelopes and machine-printed labels; we also evaluated three methods for delivering the short message: (1) formal invitation, (2) business letter with an inside name and address of the recipient, and (3) business letter without the recipient's name and address. Response rates were similar between the methods of addressing envelopes and among the three vehicles for the message, suggesting that the least costly method of mailing should be used.