Half of children entitled to free school meals did not have access to the scheme during COVID-19 lockdown in the UK.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were to investigate access to free school meals (FSMs) among eligible children, to describe factors associated with uptake and to investigate whether receiving FSMs was associated with measures of food insecurity in the UK using the Coronavirus (COVID-19) wave of the UK Household Longitudinal Study. STUDY DESIGN: The study design was cross-sectional analyses of questionnaire data collected in April 2020. METHODS: Six hundred and thirty-five children who were FSM eligible with complete data were included in the analytic sample. Accessing a FSM was defined as receiving a FSM voucher or a cooked meal at school. Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate (i) associations between characteristics and access to FSMs and (ii) associations between access to FSMs and household food insecurity measures. All analyses accounted for survey design and sample weights to ensure representativeness. RESULTS: Fifty-one percent of eligible children accessed a FSM. Children in junior schools or above (aged 8+ years) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 11.81; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.54, 25.19), who belonged to low-income families (AOR: 4.81; 95% CI: 2.10, 11.03) or still attending schools (AOR: 5.87; 95% CI: 1.70, 20.25) were more likely to receive FSMs. Children in Wales were less likely to access FSMs than those in England (AOR: 0.11; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.43). Receiving a FSM was associated with increased odds of recently using a food bank but not reporting feeling hungry. CONCLUSIONS: In the month after the COVID-19 lockdown, 49% of eligible children did not receive any form of FSMs. The present analyses highlight that the voucher scheme did not adequately serve children who could not attend school during the lockdown. Moreover, more needs to be done to support families relying on income-related benefits, who still report needing to access a food bank. As the scheme may be continued in summer or in a potential second wave, large improvements will be needed to improve its reach.

Physical activity accrued as part of public transport use in England.

BACKGROUND: Walking and cycling for transport (active travel) is an important source of physical activity with established health benefits. However, levels of physical activity accrued during public transport journeys in England are unknown. METHODS: Using the English National Travel Survey 2010-14 we quantified active travel as part of public transport journeys. Linear regression models compared levels of physical activity across public transport modes, and logistic regression models compared the odds of undertaking 30 min a day of physical activity. RESULTS: Public transport users accumulated 20.5 min (95% confidence interval=19.8, 21.2) a day of physical activity as part of public transport journeys. Train users accumulated 28.1 min (26.3, 30.0) with bus users 16.0 min (15.3, 16.8). Overall, 34% (32%, 36%) of public transport users achieved 30 min a day of physical activity in the course of their journeys; 21% (19%, 24%) of bus users and 52% (47%, 56%) of train users. CONCLUSION: Public transport use is an effective way to incorporate physical activity into daily life. One in three public transport users meet physical activity guidelines suggesting that shifts from sedentary travel modes to public transport could dramatically raise the proportion of populations achieving recommended levels of physical activity.

Sweetened beverage intake in association to energy and sugar consumption and cardiometabolic markers in children.

BACKGROUND: Artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) are promoted as healthy alternatives to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in order to reduce sugar intake, but their effects on weight control and glycaemia have been debated. This study examines associations of SSBs and ASBs with energy and sugar intake and cardiometabolic measures. METHODS: One thousand six hundred eighty-seven children aged 4-18 participated in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008/9-2011/12) in the UK. Linear regression was used to examine associations between SSBs and ASBs and energy and sugar, overall and from solid foods and beverages, and body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio and blood analytes. Fixed effects linear regression examined within-person associations with energy and sugar. RESULTS: Compared with non-consumption, SSB consumption was associated with higher sugar intake overall (6.1%; 4.2, 8.1) and ASB consumption with higher sugar intake from solid foods (1.7%; 0.5, 2.9) but not overall, mainly among boys. On SSB consumption days, energy and sugar intakes were higher (216 kcal; 163, 269 and 7.0%; 6.2, 7.8), and on ASB consumption days, sugar intake was lower (-1.0%; -1.8, -0.1) compared with those on non-consumption days. SSB and ASB intakes were associated with higher levels of blood glucose (SSB: 0.30 mmol L-1 ; 0.11, 0.49 and ASB: 0.24 mmol L-1 ; 0.06, 0.43) and SSB intake with higher triglycerides (0.29 mmol L-1 ; 0.13, 0.46). No associations were found with other outcomes. CONCLUSION: Sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with higher sugar intake and both SSBs and ASBs with a less healthy cardiometabolic profile. These findings add to evidence that health policy should discourage all sweetened beverage consumption.

Assessing the feasibility of a web-based registry for multiple orphan lung diseases: the Australasian Registry Network for Orphan Lung Disease (ARNOLD) experience.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the feasibility of using an online registry to provide prevalence data for multiple orphan lung diseases in Australia and New Zealand. METHODS: A web-based registry, The Australasian Registry Network of Orphan Lung Diseases (ARNOLD) was developed based on the existing British Paediatric Orphan Lung Disease Registry. All adult and paediatric respiratory physicians who were members of the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand in Australia and New Zealand were sent regular emails between July 2009 and June 2014 requesting information on patients they had seen with any of 30 rare lung diseases. Prevalence rates were calculated using population statistics. RESULTS: Emails were sent to 649 Australian respiratory physicians and 65 in New Zealand. 231 (32.4%) physicians responded to emails a total of 1554 times (average 7.6 responses per physician). Prevalence rates of 30 rare lung diseases are reported. CONCLUSIONS: A multi-disease rare lung disease registry was implemented in the Australian and New Zealand health care settings that provided prevalence data on orphan lung diseases in this region but was limited by under reporting.

A retrospective analysis of the cost of hospitalizations for sickle cell disease with crisis in England, 2010/11.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder which may result in a broad range of complications including recurring and severe episodes of pain--sickle 'crises'--which require frequent hospitalizations. We assessed the cost of hospitalizations associated with SCD with crisis in England. METHODS: Hospital Episodes Statistics data for all hospital episodes in England between 2010 and 2011 recording Sickle Cell Anaemia with Crisis as primary diagnosis were used. The total cost of admissions and exceeded length of stay due to SCD were assessed using Healthcare Resource Groups tariffs. The impact of patients' characteristics on SCD admissions costs and the likelihood of incurring extra bed days were also examined. RESULTS: In 2010-11, England had 6077 admissions associated with SCD with crisis as primary diagnosis. The total cost for these admissions for commissioners was £18,798 255. The cost of admissions increases with age (children admissions costs 50% less than adults). Patients between 10 and 19 years old are more likely to stay longer in hospital compared with others. CONCLUSION: SCD represents a significant cost for commissioners and the NHS. Further work is required to assess how best to manage patients in the community, which could potentially lead to a reduction in hospital admissions and length of stay, and their associated costs.

Effect of financial incentives on delivery of alcohol screening and brief intervention (ASBI) in primary care: longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Alcohol screening and brief intervention (ASBI) is effective but underprovided in primary care. Financial incentives may help address this. This study assesses the impact of a local pay-for-performance programme on delivery of ASBI in UK primary care. METHODS: Longitudinal study using data from 30 general practices in north-west London from 2008 to 2011 with logistic regression to examine disparities in ASBI delivery. RESULTS: Of 211 834 registered patients, 45 040 were targeted by the incentive (cardiovascular conditions or high risk; mental health conditions), of whom 65.7% were screened (up from a baseline of 4.8%, P < 0.001), compared with 14.7% of non-targeted patients (P < 0.001). Screening rates were lower after adjustment in younger patients, White patients, less deprived areas and in patients with mental health conditions (P < 0.05). Of those screened, 11.5% were positive and 88.6% received BI. Men and White patients were significantly more likely to screen positive. Women and younger patients were less likely to receive BI. 30.1% of patients re-screened were now negative. However, patients with mental health conditions were less likely to re-screen negative than those with cardiovascular conditions. CONCLUSION: Financial incentives appear to be effective in increasing delivery of ASBI in primary care and may reduce hazardous and harmful drinking in some patients. The findings support universal rather than targeted screening.

Effect of financial incentives on ethnic disparities in smoking cessation interventions in primary care: cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Smoking cessation interventions are underprovided in primary care. Financial incentives may help address this. However, few studies in the UK have examined their impact on disparities in the delivery of smoking cessation interventions. METHODS: Cross-sectional study using 2007 data from 29 general practices in Wandsworth, London, UK. We used logistic regression to examine associations between disease group [cardiovascular disease (CVD), respiratory disease, depression or none of these diseases], ethnicity and smoking outcomes following the introduction of the Quality and Outcomes Framework in 2004. RESULTS: Significantly, more CVD patients had smoking status ascertained compared with those with respiratory disease (89 versus 72%), but both groups received similar levels of cessation advice (93 and 89%). Patients with depression or none of the diseases were less likely to have smoking status ascertained (60% for both groups) or to receive advice (80 and 75%). Smoking prevalence was high, especially for patients with depression (44%). White British patients had higher rates of smoking than most ethnic groups, but black Caribbean men with depression had the highest smoking prevalence (62%). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking rates remain high, particularly for white British and black Caribbean patients. Extending financial incentives to include recording of ethnicity and rewarding quit rates may further improve smoking cessation outcomes in primary care.

The Young Everest Study: effects of hypoxia at high altitude on cardiorespiratory function and general well-being in healthy children.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effect of altitude and acclimatisation on cardiorespiratory function and well-being in healthy children. METHODS: A daily symptom diary, serial measurements of spirometry, end-tidal carbon dioxide (etCO(2)) and daytime and overnight pulse oximetry (SpO(2)), were undertaken at sea level and altitudes up to 3500 m in healthy children during a trekking holiday. SpO(2) at altitude was compared with that in flight and during acute hypoxic challenge (breathing 15% oxygen) at sea level. RESULTS: Measurements were obtained in nine children aged 6-13 years (median 8). SpO(2) decreased significantly during the hypoxic challenge (difference -5%, 95% CI -6 to -3%, p<0.01) but remained above 90% in all children. There was a significant fall in daytime and overnight SpO(2) (95% CI -11.9 to -7.5% and -12 to -8, respectively) and etCO(2) (-8.5 to -4.5 mm Hg) as the children ascended to 3500 m. There was a significant increase in SpO(2) (95% CI 1.1 to 4.9%) and a further drop in etCO(2) (-5.9 to -0.8 mm Hg) after a week at altitude, etCO(2) being negatively correlated with SpO(2). There was no correlation between SpO(2) during hypoxic challenge, in flight or at altitude. Lung function remained within 7% of baseline in all but two children, in whom reductions of up to 23% in FVC and 16% FEV(1) were observed at altitude. The children generally remained well, but the Lake Louise scoring system was unreliable in this age group. CONCLUSIONS: A wide range of physiological responses to altitude are evident in healthy children. This study should inform future larger studies in children to improve understanding of responses to hypoxia in health and disease.

Establishment of a web-based registry for rare (orphan) pediatric lung diseases in the United Kingdom: the BPOLD registry.

BACKGROUND: Children with orphan lung diseases (defined as a prevalence of <1 in 2000) receive suboptimal care due to a lack of understanding of pathophysiology and management. AIM: To develop a low cost, multidisease, web-based registry for children with rare lung diseases. METHODS: The British Pediatric Orphan Lung Disease (BPOLD) electronic registry was established to provide a web-based method for recording monthly incidence data on nine rare pediatric respiratory diseases (www.bpold.co.uk). An email reporting system was developed which required clinicians to input a username and password to respond following a monthly email reminder. The initial reporting rate was poor despite many registrants. The method for reporting was subsequently streamlined enabling reporting to be done via email by a single mouse-click. A follow-up email, with consent forms as attachments, was automatically sent to positive respondents, with negative responses recorded directly to the database. Non-responders receive a reminder email after 2 weeks. RESULTS: Initially 101 respiratory clinicians registered via the BPOLD site, responding 162 times over 17 months. In the 12 months following redevelopment (total 12 monthly group emails) 143 of 222 BPRS members (64%) have provided 1,001 responses. Forty-eight clinicians (34% of responders) have responded to 10-12 group emails, with the next highest total being those responding to one only. One hundred fifty-eight cases of orphan lung disease have been identified. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated the successful establishment of a low cost, web-based registry for children with rare lung diseases. There is an urgent need for European and International collaboration with the establishment of electronic registries for children with rare diseases, if the inequities of health care are to be addressed. A web-based approach, similar to the one we have developed, will enable this.

Standardizing lung function laboratories for multicenter trials.

Multi-center studies provide advantages in clinical research but differences between centers can introduce bias. Three specialist pediatric respiratory laboratories standardized their methodology and examined differences between centers. The specific aims were to (i) assess the variability of measurements on adults within and between centers and (ii) to exchange and cross-analyze data from children to assess the extent of agreement between centers. Each laboratory used identical equipment and software. Inter-laboratory visits were used to (i) standardize protocols for data collection and analysis and (ii) make spirometric and plethysmographic measurements on participating staff at each location. Staff also had repeat measurements in their home laboratories. Measurements from children in each laboratory were exchanged on disk, cross-analyzed, and data compared by ANOVA. There were no significant within-subject, between-center differences in FVC, FEV1, FEF50, FRCpleth, or VC. There was a slight trend for TLC and RV (P=0.07) to be higher at one center. The 95% limits of agreement within and between centers were similar for all parameters. There were no differences between centers in cross-analyzed data from 10 children. By standardizing hardware, software, and protocol, potential inter-laboratory differences can be minimized. We recommend that this approach be adopted prior to multi-center studies.

The use of nasal continuous positive airway pressure to treat obstructive sleep apnoea.

AIM: To review 66 children with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) for whom a trial of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) was proposed. METHODS: Baseline sleep studies were performed to assess OSA severity; a trial of nCPAP was performed where moderate to severe OSA, not relieved by adenotonsillectomy, was found. The nCPAP trial was considered either technically successful (ST), if the child accepted the mask for sufficient time to determine nCPAP efficacy, or a technical failure (FT) if otherwise. Patients with an initial FT were offered a period of home acclimatisation to familiarise them with wearing the mask during sleep. ST patients in whom nCPAP was effective were established on long term therapy. RESULTS: Nasal CPAP trials were successful (ST) in 49/66 (74%) patients. Nasal CPAP efficacy could not be determined in the remaining 17 FT patients (26%), generally because of their poor nCPAP tolerance. These patients were subsequently considered for other treatment. A total of 42/49 (86%) ST patients were established on long term nCPAP therapy, 2/49 (4%) derived no benefit from nCPAP, while 5/49 (10%) refused long term nCPAP therapy. Of patients on long term nCPAP, the most frequently reported side effects were skin irritation and nasal dryness; however, these were not serious enough to require any patients to discontinue therapy. A period of home acclimatisation was found to be effective in increasing nCPAP acceptance, with 26% of FT children being subsequently successfully reassessed for nCPAP. CONCLUSION: The use of nCPAP was feasible in a significant proportion of a paediatric OSA population. Failure was usually because of the child's intolerance of the nCPAP equipment. Nasal CPAP was an effective treatment in the majority of patients where it could be assessed, and was adopted as a long term therapy in most cases. We have successfully used nCPAP to treat OSA across a wide range of ages. Motivated parents and skilled support staff have proved essential for the success of nCPAP in a paediatric setting.

Distinct patterns of respiratory difficulty in young children with achondroplasia: a clinical, sleep, and lung function study.

AIM: Achondroplasia can result in respiratory difficulty in early infancy. The aim of this study was to document lung growth during infancy, together with the cause of any cardiorespiratory and sleep dysfunction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventeen prospectively ascertained infants (14 boys and three girls) with respiratory symptoms starting before 1 year of age underwent clinical, sleep, and lung function studies. RESULTS: Three distinct groups were identified. Group 1 (n = 6) were the least symptomatic and only had obstructive sleep apnoea. Group 2 (n = 6) had obstructive sleep apnoea of muscular aetiology and, neurologically, hydrocephalus and a small foramen magnum were common. Group 3 (n = 5), the most severely affected group, all developed cor pulmonale, with three deaths occurring as a result of terminal cardiorespiratory failure. All five had obstructive sleep apnoea with a muscular aetiology (a small foramen magnum predominated) with severe or moderately severe gastro-oesophageal reflux. Initially, lung function studies found no evidence of restriction or reduced lung volumes standardised according to weight. However, with growth these infants had worsening function, with raised airway resistance and severe reductions in respiratory compliance. CONCLUSIONS: These groups appear to be distinct phenotypes with distinct anatomical aetiologies: "relative" adenotonsillar hypertrophy, resulting from a degree of midfacial hypoplasia (group 1); muscular upper airway obstruction along with progressive hydrocephalus, resulting from jugular foramen stenosis (group 2); and muscular upper airway obstruction, but without hydrocephalus, resulting from hypoglossal canal stenosis with or without foramen magnum compression and no jugular foramen stenosis (group 3). The aetiology of these abnormalities is consistent with localised alteration of chondrocranial development: rostral, intermediary and caudal in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

A step in the right direction: assessing exercise tolerance in cystic fibrosis.

Exercise tolerance may be reduced in patients with cystic fibrosis, but it is not always possible to predict this from standard lung function measurements. Formal exercise testing may, therefore, be necessary, and the test should be simple and readily available. We have developed a "3-minute step test" and compared it with the standard 6-minute walking test. Subjects stepped up and down a 15-cm-high single step at a rate of 30 steps per minute for 3 minutes. The effect of the step test on spirometry was tested first in 31 children with CF (mean age, 12.0 years), who had a mean (range) baseline forced expired volume in 1 second (FEV1) of 64% (18-94%) of predicted values. The step test was then compared with the standard 6-minute walk in a further 54 patients with cystic fibrosis (mean age, 12.5 years), with mean (range) baseline FEV1 of 61% (14-103%) of predicted values. Outcome measures were minimum arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), maximum pulse rate, and the modified Borg dyspnea score. Post-step test spirometry showed mean (95% CI) changes of -1.1% (-6.0 + 3.9%) for forced vital capacity, of -1.6% (-4.2 + 1.1%) for FEV1, and +0.25% (-2.8 + 3.3%) for peak expiratory flow, although 5/31 children showed >15% drop in one or more parameters. The step and walk tests both produced significant changes (P < 0.0001) in all outcomes, with a mean (range) minimum SaO2 of 92% (75-98%) versus 92% (75-97%), a maximum pulse rate of 145 b.p.m. (116-189) versus 132 (100-161), and a Borg score of 2.5 (0-9) versus 1.0 (0-5), respectively. Comparison of the two tests showed that the step test increased breathlessness (mean change Borg score, 2.3 vs. 0.8; P < 0.0001) and pulse rate (mean change, 38% vs. 24%, P < 0.0001) significantly more than the walk, whereas the decrease in SaO2 was similar (mean change, -2.9% vs. -2.6%; P = 0.12). Some patients with a significant drop in SaO2 (>4%) would not have the decrease predicted from their baseline lung function. Reproducibility for the two tests was similar. The step test is quick, simple and portable, and is not dependent on patient motivation. Although the step test is more tiring, its effect on SaO2 is similar to the 6-minute walking test. It is a safe test that may prove to be a valuable measure of exercise tolerance in children with pulmonary disease, although longitudinal studies are now needed.

Reduced upper airway nitric oxide in cystic fibrosis.

Nitric oxide (NO) produced within the respiratory tract is detectable in exhaled and nasal air. Its synthesis may be induced by inflammatory cytokines and reduced by glucocorticoids. Increased concentrations have been found in asthma and bronchiectasis. In this study, NO concentrations were determined in 63 children with cystic fibrosis, of whom 13 were on inhaled steroids (mean age 13.3 years) and 50 were not (mean age 12.3 years); 57 normal children (mean age 12.2 years) were also studied. NO was measured by chemiluminescence analyser, exhaled NO following a relaxed vital capacity manoeuvre, and nasal NO with the breath held following a full inspiration. Mean concentration of exhaled NO in cystic fibrosis patients (no steroids) was 4.7 parts per billion (ppb) (95% confidence interval (CI) 4.0 to 5.3); this did not differ from values in normal children (mean 4.8 ppb, 95% CI 3.8 to 5.8) or in cystic fibrosis patients on inhaled steroids (mean 3.6 ppb, 95% CI 2.5 to 4.8). Nasal concentrations were significantly lower in cystic fibrosis patients, with or without inhaled steroids, than in normal children (cystic fibrosis, no inhaled steroids: 460 ppb, 95% CI 399 to 520; cystic fibrosis, inhaled steroids: 522 ppb, 95% CI 313 to 730, v normal children: 1024 ppb, 95% CI 896 to 1152, p < 0.0001). Considering the inflammatory nature of cystic fibrosis, it is surprising exhaled NO levels were not increased, but this may have been due to alteration in NO diffusion through thick mucus. The low nasal NO concentrations, which are probably the result of impaired flow from the paranasal sinuses, may contribute to the recurrent respiratory infections typical of cystic fibrosis.

Bronchial hyperresponsiveness in children with atopic dermatitis.

Using histamine provocation tests, bronchial responsiveness was measured in 43 children with atopic dermatitis, aged 7 to 15 years, who had attended pediatric dermatology clinics within the past 5 years. The children were divided into two groups, one group of 21 children in whom asthma had been previously diagnosed and in whom symptoms of asthma had occurred in the preceding year, and the other comprising 22 children who denied any such symptoms. Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (as defined by a 20% fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 second at a provoking dose of histamine of 7.8 mumol or less [PD20]) was demonstrated in all but 1 of the children with atopic dermatitis and asthma, in 18 of the 22 children with atopic dermatitis alone, but in only 3 of a control group of 18 children without atopic dermatitis or asthma. The asthmatic subjects (median PD20 = 0.22 mumol) had more severe bronchial hyperresponsiveness than the nonasthmatic subjects (median PD20 = 2.10 mumol). This study confirms the strong association between atopic dermatitis and bronchial hyperresponsiveness, even in the absence of overt asthmatic symptoms.