Food sustainability education as a route to healthier eating: evaluation of a multi-component school programme in English primary schools.

Promising approaches to the promotion of healthier eating among children in primary school settings include the opportunity to practise practical cooking and growing, promoting the take up of healthier school meals and nutritional education. However, less is known about the potential for strategies that integrate approaches through a focus on food sustainability issues--such as the promotion of awareness about local, seasonal, organic, fair trade and higher animal welfare foods. This paper presents an evaluation of the Food for Life Partnership, a multi-component programme that sought to address both the health and sustainability aspects of food. The study consisted of a two-stage cross-sectional survey of Years 5 and 6 students (ages 9-11) in 30 primary schools at enrolment and after 18-24 months, combined with an analysis of programme delivery. Higher self-reported fruit and vegetable consumption in the second stage survey was associated with a range of indicators of school participation in the programme. These included the reform of school meal procurement and preparation; experiential food growing, cooking and farm-based education and improved opportunities for stakeholder engagement. The study therefore develops a case for multilevel programmes that incorporate sustainability issues alongside experiential food education in primary school settings.

Alcohol, young people and the media: a study of radio output in six radio stations in England.

BACKGROUND: This research investigated the representation of alcohol in radio output. The study was prompted by concerns that media output might be part of a developing culture of excessive drinking among young people. METHODS: Alcohol comments were examined across six radio stations in England. 1200 h of weekend output was screened and the sampling frame included periods when references to alcohol would be expected, such as the Christmas period. Statistical analysis identified the volume and proportion of comments, whereas qualitative analysis explored these in more depth, focusing on the themes and discourses surrounding alcohol talk. RESULTS: Of 703 alcohol comments identified, 244 involved presenters. The volume of comments about alcohol varied between stations, being lower on BBC than on commercial stations and being influenced by music genre. Seventy-three percent of comments initiated by presenters, compared with 45% of comments from all sources, encouraged drinking. The majority of comments by presenters support drinking in relation to partying and socializing. Alcohol comments seem to create identity for programmes and forge connections between presenters and audiences, although some presenters achieve this without mentioning drinking. The assumption that alcohol is necessary to have a good time is seldom directly challenged. CONCLUSIONS: While it may be unsurprising that much of this content reflected themes of weekend drinking and partying, the study suggests that alcohol comments play a particular role in marketing and branding of radio output. Comments about alcohol are shaped by broadcasting conventions that make it difficult to challenge discourses surrounding excessive drinking. Further research is needed on the influence that radio output may have on drinking behaviour among young people.

The advocacy in action study a cluster randomized controlled trial to reduce pedestrian injuries in deprived communities.

BACKGROUND: Road traffic-related injury is a major global public health problem. In most countries, pedestrian injuries occur predominantly to the poorest in society. A number of evaluated interventions are effective in reducing these injuries. Very little research has been carried out into the distribution and determinants of the uptake of these interventions. Previous research has shown an association between local political influence and the distribution of traffic calming after adjustment for historical crash patterns. This led to the hypothesis that advocacy could be used to increase local politicians knowledge of pedestrian injury risk and effective interventions, ultimately resulting in improved pedestrian safety. OBJECTIVE: To design an intervention to improve the uptake of pedestrian safety measures in deprived communities. SETTING: Electoral wards in deprived areas of England and Wales with a poor record of pedestrian safety for children and older adults. METHODS: Design mixedmethods study, incorporating a cluster randomized controlled trial. Data mixture of Geographical Information Systems data collision locations, road safety interventions, telephone interviews, and questionnaires. Randomization 239 electoral wards clustered within 57 local authorities. Participants 615 politicians representing intervention and control wards. Intervention a package of tailored information including maps of pedestrian injuries was designed for intervention politicians, and a general information pack for controls. OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome number of road safety interventions 25 months after randomization. Secondary outcomes politicians interest and involvement in injury prevention cost of interventions. Process evaluation use of advocacy pack, facilitators and barriers to involvement, and success.

Understanding high traffic injury risks for children in low socioeconomic areas: a qualitative study of parents' views.

OBJECTIVE: To gain an in-depth qualitative understanding of parents' views about their children's exposure to road traffic injury risk in low socioeconomic areas. DESIGN: Focus groups facilitated by a moderator with content analysis of data. SETTING: Focus groups were conducted in 10 low socioeconomic English districts that also have high rates of child pedestrian injury. Research was conducted in community venues within each area. SUBJECTS: Parents of children aged 9-14 years living in low socioeconomic areas. RESULTS: Parents believe that children play in their local streets for the following reasons: they like playing out with friends near home; there are few safe, secure, and well-maintained public spaces for children; children are excluded from affordable leisure venues because of their costs; insufficient parental responsibility. For children that play in the street, the key sources of risk identified by parents were: illegal riding and driving around estates and on the pavements; the speed and volume of traffic; illegal parking; drivers being poorly informed about where children play; children's risk-taking behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Intervention programs need to take into account multiple reasons why children in low socioeconomic areas become exposed to hazardous environments thereby increasing their risk of injury. Multi-agency partnerships involving the community are increasingly needed to implement traditional road safety approaches, such as education, engineering, and enforcement, and provide safe and accessible public space, affordable activities for children, and greater support for parents.

Peptide YY improves local and systemic parameters and prevents death in lethal necrotizing pancreatitis.

INTRODUCTION: Peptide YY (PYY) is a gastrointestinal hormone with multiple inhibitory effects on the proximal digestive tract, including suppression of secretion by the exocrine pancreas. AIM: To determine whether peptide YY would reduce mortality in a lethal model of necrotizing pancreatitis by improving local and systemic parameters of this disease. METHODOLOGY: Necrotizing pancreatitis was induced in three groups of 30 mice by feeding a choline-deficient ethionine-supplemented diet. Osmotic pumps placed in 10 control mice delivered normal saline. In the two study groups, PYY was delivered at 200 pmol/kg/hr. The prophylactic group received PYY pumps at the onset; the therapeutic group received pumps 24 hours later. Ten mice from each group were followed to assess survival. Remaining mice were killed at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours. Pancreata were graded on a nine-point histologic scale. Amylasemia was quantified by kinetic determination. Serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) values were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: Both prophylactic and therapeutic PYY significantly reduced mortality compared with that seen in controls ( p = 0.05 and p = 0.007). Five-day survival was 33% in controls, 80% in those receiving prophylactic PYY, and 100% in the therapeutic group. Amylasemia was reduced in the therapeutic group by day 3 ( p < 0.02) and in the prophylactic group by day 4 ( p < 0.01). Histologic changes mirrored those in serum amylase. Prophylactic and therapeutic administration of PYY suppressed early circulating levels of IL-6. CONCLUSION: PYY reduces mortality and improves local and systemic parameters in this murine model and may be of clinical benefit in the management of human necrotizing pancreatitis, particularly as this study demonstrates a clear survival benefit when PYY is given after the onset of disease.