Validation of the Scale on Parental Feeding Behaviors (ECOPAL) for Caregivers of Mexican Children.

Parental feeding practices can be crucial to preventing childhood obesity. This study aimed to validate a self-applicable instrument for evaluating the diverse parental feeding behaviors of Mexican caregivers based on the theoretical constructs of coercive control, structure, and autonomy support. The scale's content validity achieved significant values when assessed by expert judges, with moderate intensity in congruence (Kendall's W = 0.462; p = 0.000) and clarity (Kendall's W = 0.369; p = 0.001). The participants were 1185 Mexican adults (32.7 ± 7.6 years of age, 97% women, and 90% mothers) responsible for the main meal of at least one child (4.8 ± 3 years old). The data were subdivided randomly for an exploratory factor analysis (n = 581) and a confirmatory factorial analysis (n = 604). The first analysis grouped the items into 11 factors, with an accumulated variance of 63.9%. In the confirmatory analysis, a 10-factor model showed a better fit (CMIN = 1531.5, p < 0.001, CMIN/df = 2.20, RSEA = 0.045, CFI = 0.92, TLI, 0.91, and NFI = 0.87). The factors in this model were (1) the disposition of non-recommended foods, (2) nutritional education, (3) pressure to eat, (4) praise for healthy eating, (5) monitoring of consumption, (6) structured offer of fruits and vegetables, (7) consumption conditioning, (8) overt restriction, (9) guided choices, and (10) covert restriction. The Cronbach's alpha value was 0.816. Therefore, this scale presents good psychometric properties with which to evaluate the frequency of child caregivers' feeding behaviors in the context of ten different feeding practices in Mexico's urban areas and contributes to the knowledge of current practices in the Mexican population. It also evaluates changes resulting from future interventions that promote eating practices that favor the formation of healthy eating habits.

Apoyo y barreras sociales en el comportamiento alimentario de mujeres con obesidad / Support and social barriers received and given in the food behavior of obesity women

Resumen Una de las principales causas de la obesidad es la alimentación. La alimentación forma parte del medio social, y algunas de las variables sociales vinculadas con el bienestar y la salud son el apoyo y las barreras sociales. Por lo tanto, el objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar las diferencias en comportamiento alimentario, así como apoyo y barreras sociales recibidas y proporcionadas en mujeres con obesidad vs. normopeso en un contexto natural de alimentación. Participaron cinco mujeres con obesidad y cinco normopeso, quienes fueron videograbadas por cuatro días consecutivos durante el momento de la "comida" en su hogar. El alimento fue registrado y pesado; las conductas de alimentación, de apoyo y las barreras sociales fueron registradas a partir de catálogos de observación sistemática elaborados exprofeso. Los resultados mostraron que las mujeres con obesidad ingirieron más frecuentemente, y en mayor cantidad, bebidas endulzadas, antojitos mexicanos fritos y comida rápida. Además, fueron objeto de más barreras instrumentales que les impedían alimentarse saludablemente. En conclusión, es necesario abordar el medio social en el que la alimentación tiene lugar, ya que el tipo de interacciones sociales pueden jugar un papel importante en la alimentación.

Abstract One of the main causes of obesity is food. Food is part of the social environment and some of the social variables that have been linked to well-being and health are support and social barriers. Therefore, the aim was to analyze the differences on eating behavior, support and social barriers received and given between obesity women vs. normal weight women in the natural feeding context. Five women with obesity and five with normal weight participated, who were videotaped with their consent four consecutive days during the feeding time of the "food" in their home; food was recorded and weighed. We recorded eating behaviors, and behaviors of support and social barriers from a systematic observation catalog prepared exprofeso. The results showed that women with obesity ingested a greater frequency and quantity of sweetened beverages, fried Mexican snacks and fast food. In addition, they received a greater frequency of instrumental barriers to eat healthy. In conclusion, it is necessary to address the social environment in which food takes place, since the type of social interactions may be playing an important role in food.

Uncontrollable chronic stress affects eating behavior in rats.

The issue of whether the decrease in food intake induced by inescapable shock is due to the uncontrollability of the stressor or the shock per se has not yet been settled. Besides, whether food intake is differentially affected by an uncontrollable chronic stressor has been explored only by a few studies. Thus, we evaluated the effects of chronic escapable or inescapable electric shocks on eating behavior. Rats were exposed to shock sessions for 20 days in two occasions separated by baseline sessions with no shock in an ABAB design. Results showed a reduction in food and water intake and body weight gain during stress periods, especially with inescapable shocks. The findings support a close link between learned helplessness, chronic stress, and eating behavior.

Chronic administration of gonadotropin releasing-hormone improves learning in old gonadectomized rats.

The aim of this study was to determine whether chronic administration of GnRH improves performance of learning tasks and expression of spinophilin in the hippocampus of gonadectomized old rats. Eighteen-month-old male Wistar rats were used and divided into three groups: control (intact rats); gonadectomized; and gonadectomized + GnRH. The latter group was injected intramuscularly with GnRH (100 nM) twice a day for five weeks. The learning tasks we used were the novel object recognition task (NOR), elevated T-maze (ETM) and active avoidance test (AAT). Results showed that in NOR and ETM learning tasks, gonadectomized rats treated with GnRH had a significantly better performance than gonadectomized rats without treatment. GnRH-treated gonadectomized rats displayed performance comparable to that of intact rats. Furthermore, the expression of spinophilin in the hippocampus of gonadectomized rats treated with GnRH increased with respect to untreated gonadectomized rats. In conclusion, the chronic administration of GnRH improves learning in old gonadectomized rats. It is possible that the mechanism could involve a greater number of dendritic contacts associated with a higher expression of spinophilin.

Prácticas alimentarias parentales y su relación con la conducta alimentaria infantil: Problemas para la explicación / Parental feeding practices and their relation to child eating behavior: Problems for explanation

Resumen Desde la infancia, las prácticas alimentarias parentales (PAP) influyen en el aprendizaje del comer saludablemente. Sin embargo, la terminología inconsistente y la falta de descripciones claras de las PAP obstaculizan la comprensión de su influencia en dicho aprendizaje. A partir de una revisión selectiva de artículos científicos que incluyeron descripciones de las PAP y su relación con algún aspecto de la conducta alimentaria infantil (CAI), se buscó analizar las descripciones conductuales planteadas en la literatura durante la última década (2006-2016), con el propósito de clarificar las relaciones documentadas entre éstas y la CAI. Los resultados fueron categorizados a partir de las relaciones planteadas entre las PAP y algunos de los retos principales que el tópico de la CAI, como son: la aceptación de alimentos nuevos, el desarrollo de preferencias alimentarias y la autorregulación alimentaria. Los resultados reflejan algunas PAP asociadas tanto a conductas alimentarias deseables como indeseables para la salud de los niños. La confusión en la terminología y la falta de consistencia en las descripciones conductuales de las PAP, así como las explicaciones sobre los mecanismos por los cuales tales prácticas influyen en la CAI son todavía desconocidas. Se proponen algunas consideraciones a retomar en investigaciones futuras.

Abstract Parental feeding practices influence the learning of healthy eating since childhood. But the lack of clear descriptions and inconsistent terminology of such practices hampers the understanding of their influence on such learning. From a selected review of scientific articles that included descriptions of parental feeding practices and relationships with any aspect of children's eating behavior, we analyzed the behavioral descriptions stated in literature during the last decade (2006-2016) with the purpose to clarify relations among these and the children's eating behavior. The results were categorized based on the relationships between feeding practices and the challenges in infant feeding behavior such as acceptance of new foods, development of food preferences, and food self-regulation. The results reflect some practices associated with both desirable and undesirable children's eating behavior. Confusion in terminology and lack of consistency in behavioral descriptions of parental feeding practices and explanations of the mechanisms of such practices are still unknown. Some considerations are proposed for future research.

Efectos de la exposición a diferentes criterios de logro en la elaboración de preguntas informales / Effects of exposure to different achievement criteria on the elaboration of informal questions / Efeitos da exposição a diferentes critérios de logro na construção de perguntas informais

Se evaluó el efecto de proporcionar información diferencial del criterio de logro (definido como la especificación de los requisitos que el individuo debe cumplir o ante los cuales debe ajustarse) al elaborar preguntas informales relacionadas con la vida cotidiana, las cuales para su formulación no requieren de un entrenamiento especializado. Estudios previos han indicado la necesidad de evaluar las condiciones que favorecen la elaboración de preguntas pertinentes en diferentes contextos. Uno de los elementos necesarios para ello puede ser la especificación previa de los requisitos que deben cumplir las preguntas a elaborar (especificación del criterio de logro). El diseño experimental implicó la exposición de los sujetos a especificidades diferenciales del criterio de logro. Participaron 60 estudiantes de preparatoria, licenciatura y posgrado. Los resultados indicaron que los grupos que se expusieron a criterios más específicos elaboraron un mayor número de preguntas, y éstas fueron más pertinentes a la situación. El mejor desempeño fue el de los participantes de posgrado y licenciatura. Los hallazgos se discuten en términos de las implicaciones que el ser capaz de elaborar preguntas pertinentes puede tener en los contextos académicos.

The effect of providing differential information regarding achievement criteria while making informal questions related to everyday life and whose formulation does not require a specialized training was evaluated. Achievement criteria defined as the specification of the requirements an individual must meet or to which he should adjust .Previous studies have indicated the need to evaluate the conditions that allow the development of question-asking skills in different contexts. One of the necessary elements of this task may be the previous specification of the criteria a question must meet (specification of the achievement criteria). The experimental design involved the exposure to different achievement criteria. Participants were 60 students from high school, as well as college undergraduate and graduate students. Results indicated that the groups exposed to the more specific criteria developed a greater number of questions, and these were more relevant to the situation. Undergraduate and graduate students performed more effectively than the high-school ones. Findings are discussed in terms of the implications of being able to pose pertinent questions (in academic contexts).

Avaliou-se o efeito de prover informação diferencial do critério de logro (definido como a especificação dos requisitos que o indivíduo deve cumprir ou aos que deve submeter-se) ao construir perguntas informais relacionadas com o dia a dia, que não exigem treinamento especializado. Estudos prévios indicam a necessidade de avaliar as condições que favorecem a construção de perguntas pertinentes em diversos contextos. Um elemento necessário para lográ-lo pode ser a especificação prévia dos requisitos que devem cumprir as perguntas que vão a elaborar-se (especificação do critério de logro). O desenho experimental implicou a exposição dos sujeitos a especificidades diferenciais do critério de logro. Participaram 60 estudantes de ensino secundário, licenciatura e pós-grado. Os achados indicaram que os grupos expostos a critérios mais específicos construíram o maior numero de perguntas, e mais pertinentes à situação. Os estudantes de licenciatura e pós-grado desempenharam-se melhor. Os resultados discutem-se à luz das implicações que ser capaz de construir perguntas pertinentes pode ter nos contextos acadêmicos.