Preventive medicine
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Preventive medicine · Mar 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialHip-Hop to Health Jr., an obesity prevention program for minority preschool children: baseline characteristics of participants.
The prevalence of obesity in the United States is a significant public health problem. Many obesity-related risk factors are more prevalent in minority populations. Given the recalcitrant nature of weight loss interventions for adults, prevention of overweight and obesity has become a high priority. The present study reports baseline data from an obesity prevention intervention developed for minority preschool children. ⋯ The development of interventions to effectively prevent or control obesity early in life is crucial. These data highlight the escalating problem of weight control in minority populations.
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Preventive medicine · Feb 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialNutrition education improves metabolic outcomes among older adults with diabetes mellitus: results from a randomized controlled trial.
Few diabetes education programs have been designed specifically for older adults. This study evaluated the impact of a nutrition intervention on the blood glucose and lipoprotein levels of adults > or =65 years of age without functional limitations but with type 2 diabetes for > or =1 year. ⋯ Older adults with diabetes need additional education to achieve metabolic control. Nutrition education can improve metabolic control among this cohort. Improved metabolic outcomes reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes.
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Preventive medicine · Feb 2002
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialA community-based obesity prevention program for minority children: rationale and study design for Hip-Hop to Health Jr.
BACKGROUND; The increasing prevalence of overweight among children in the United States presents a national health priority. Higher rates of overweight/obesity among minority women place their children at increased risk. Although increased rates of overweight are observed in 4- to 5-year-old children, they are not observed in 2- to 3-year-old children. Therefore, early prevention efforts incorporating families are critical. ⋯ The problem of overweight/obesity is epidemic in the United States. Behaviors related to diet and physical activity are established early in life and modeled by family members. Early intervention efforts addressing the child and family are needed to prevent obesity later in life. This paper describes a comprehensive, family-oriented obesity prevention program for minority preschool children.
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Preventive medicine · Sep 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialImpact of skin cancer prevention on outdoor aquatics staff: the Pool Cool program in Hawaii and Massachusetts.
Aquatic staff, including lifeguards, are exposed to intense sunlight for many hours each day and are likely to be at a relatively high risk for developing skin cancer. However, no interventions have been specifically directed to staff at outdoor swimming pool sites. ⋯ The Pool Cool sun protection intervention had significant effects on lifeguards' sunburn rates and pool sun safety policies but did not improve reported sun protection behaviors. More intensive strategies may be needed to influence aquatics workers who have already begun to adopt skin cancer prevention practices.
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Preventive medicine · Jan 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialCounselor and stimulus control enhancements of a stage-matched expert system intervention for smokers in a managed care setting.
Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of an interactive expert system intervention for smoking cessation for a general population. The intervention provides individualized feedback that guides participants through the stages of change for cessation. Enhancing the expert system by adding proactive telephone counseling or a stimulus control computer designed to produce nicotine fading could produce preventive programs with greater population impacts. ⋯ The enhanced conditions failed to outperform the expert system alone. The study also demonstrated the ability of the interactive expert system to produce significantly greater cessation in a population of smokers than assessment alone.