Development and Reliability Testing of the Worksite and Energy Balance Survey.

Development and reliability testing of the worksite and energy balance survey.

J Public Health Manag Pract. 2013 May-Jun; 19(3 Suppl 1): S105-13
Hoehner CM, Budd EL, Marx CM, Dodson EA, Brownson RC

: Worksites represent important venues for health promotion. Development of psychometrically sound measures of worksite environments and policy supports for physical activity and healthy eating are needed for use in public health research and practice.: Assess the test-retest reliability of the Worksite and Energy Balance Survey (WEBS), a self-report instrument for assessing perceptions of worksite supports for physical activity and healthy eating.: The WEBS included items adapted from existing surveys or new items on the basis of a review of the literature and expert review. Cognitive interviews among 12 individuals were used to test the clarity of items and further refine the instrument. A targeted random-digit-dial telephone survey was administered on 2 occasions to assess test-retest reliability (mean days between time periods = 8; minimum = 5; maximum = 14).: Five Missouri census tracts that varied by racial-ethnic composition and walkability.: Respondents included 104 employed adults (67% white, 64% women, mean age = 48.6 years). Sixty-three percent were employed at worksites with less than 100 employees, approximately one-third supervised other people, and the majority worked a regular daytime shift (75%).: Test-retest reliability was assessed using Spearman correlations for continuous variables, Cohen’s ? statistics for nonordinal categorical variables, and 1-way random intraclass correlation coefficients for ordinal categorical variables.: Test-retest coefficients ranged from 0.41 to 0.97, with 80% of items having reliability coefficients of more than 0.6. Items that assessed participation in or use of worksite programs/facilities tended to have lower reliability. Reliability of some items varied by gender, obesity status, and worksite size. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency for the 5 scales ranged from 0.84 to 0.94 and 0.63 to 0.84, respectively.: The WEBS items and scales exhibited sound test-retest reliability and may be useful for research and surveillance. Further evaluation is needed to document the validity of the WEBS and associations with energy balance outcomes. HubMed – eating

 

[Changes in food consumption and physical activity in schoolchildren of Florianópolis, Southern Brazil, 2002 – 2007].

Rev Saude Publica. 2012 Dec; 46 Suppl 1: 117-25
Costa FF, Assis MA, Leal DB, Campos VC, Kupek E, Conde WL

To assess changes in food consumption and physical activity levels in schoolchildren.A study was conducted with a representative sample (n = 4,168) of schoolchildren aged between seven and ten years living in the city of Florianópolis, Southern Brazil. Food consumption and physical activity were assessed in two school-based studies in 2002 (n = 2,936; 51% boys; mean age = 8.5 years) and 2007 (n = 1,232; 50.7% boys; mean age = 8.6 years), using illustrated questionnaires. The chi-square test was used to assess changes in the consumption of eight foods/food groups, in terms of the recommendations of the Brazilian Food Guidelines and physical activity levels (assessed according to tertiles of distribution of score and type of transportation to school). Analyses were performed according to the type of school attended (private or public).There was a reduction in the proportion of schoolchildren who reported eating fruits, vegetables, beans, meat, snack foods, pizza, French fries and sodas. A higher proportion of private school children met the recommendations that restricted the consumption of sodas, pizza and French fries and promoted the consumption of fruits and vegetables, in both studies. On the other hand, a higher proportion of public school children met the recommendations of meat consumption in 2007. Median values of scores of physical activity decreased in 2007. In both years, private school children were more active. The proportion of schoolchildren who actively commuted to school decreased from 49% to 41% (p < 0.01).There was a reduction in the consumption of markers of a healthy diet (beans, meat/fish, fruits and vegetables) and high-energy and low-nutrient foods (sodas, snack foods and pizza/French fries). In addition, there was a decrease in the proportion of schoolchildren who reported actively commuting to school. HubMed – eating

 

Skipping breakfast adversely affects menstrual disorders in young college students.

Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2009; 60 Suppl 6: 23-31
Fujiwara T, Sato N, Awaji H, Sakamoto H, Nakata R

In the present study we conducted a questionnaire survey to examine the relationship between dietary habits and menstrual disorders in young women. Subjects were recruited from 315 college students and were classified as: Group I, eating breakfast; Group II, skipping breakfast; Group III, not eating fast foods; Group IV, eating fast foods; Group V, not eating processed foods; and Group VI, eating processed foods. The intensity of dysmenorrhea was scored using three grades. All participants were further divided into groups based on having regular or irregular menstruation, having premenstrual symptoms or not, and self-perception of good or poor general health. General health was poor in Groups II and VI, and dysmenorrhea scores were high in Groups II, IV and VI. The incidence of irregular menses was also high in Group II. However, there was no apparent relation between premenstrual symptoms and dietary habits. These findings suggest that skipping breakfast adversely affects menstrual disorders in young college students. HubMed – eating

 


 

Eating Disorders from the Inside Out: Laura Hill at TEDxColumbus. – Calm, pleasure and satisfaction is what most people experience after eating. But for people with eating disorders, food brings anxiety, disturbance and noise…