PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Graduates of comprehensive preschool program less likely to be obese in adulthood

2021-03-22
(Press-News.org) WHAT: Children in high-poverty neighborhoods who participated in a comprehensive preschool program that provided parents with health and educational services and job training had a lower body mass index (BMI) in their late 30s than a similar group who participated in the usual early childhood programs, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study authors concluded that comprehensive, school-based early childhood programs could lead to improvements in body mass index later in life. The study was conducted by Arthur J. Reynolds, Ph.D., of the University of Minnesota, and colleagues. It appears in JAMA Pediatrics.

Funding was provided by NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).

Of the study participants, nearly 700 had attended the Child-Parent Center preschool program, which enrolled children in high-poverty, majority Black neighborhoods in Chicago. Offering small classes and intensive instruction in school readiness skills, the program also provides parents with job and parenting skills training, educational classes, and social services. The children were provided with healthy meals and learned how to make healthy food choices. Compared to a similar group of more than 350 people who had not attended the program, participants showed a 3.2% reduction in BMI at 37 years of age. Women participants had a 7.5% reduction in BMI. Women also were 27% less likely to be obese compared to women who had not attended the program. The researchers found no significant differences in obesity rates among men who took part in the study, as the men in both groups had a low obesity rate.

Previous studies of the program's graduates have found that, as adults, they have higher rates of educational attainment and household income than adults of the same background who did not partake in the program.

INFORMATION:

WHO: James A. Griffin, Ph.D., chief of the NICHD Child Development and Behavior Branch, is available for comment.

ARTICLE: Reynolds, AJ, et al. A comprehensive, multisystemic early childhood program and obesity at age 37 years. JAMA Pediatrics. 2021.

About the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): NICHD leads research and training to understand human development, improve reproductive health, enhance the lives of children and adolescents, and optimize abilities for all. For more information, visit https://www.nichd.nih.gov.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit https://www.nih.gov.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Association of age with SARS-CoV-2 antibody response

2021-03-22
What The Study Did: This study examined whether the quantity and quality of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 were different among children, adolescents and young adults. Authors: Zhen Zhao, Ph.D., of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.4302) Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest and funding support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support. INFORMATION: Media ...

Weight changes during pandemic-related shelter-in-place

2021-03-22
What The Study Did: Researchers investigated whether shelter-in-place orders in the United States during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with changes in body weight among adults. Authors: Gregory M. Marcus, M.D., M.A.S., of the University of California, San Francisco, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.2536) Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions ...

Unmet need for equipment to help with bathing, toileting among older adults

2021-03-22
What The Study Did: This study estimates how many older adults in the United States who need equipment to help with bathing and toileting don't have it and the factors associated with not having such equipment. Authors: Kenneth Lam, M.D., University of California, San Francisco, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.0204) Editor's Note: The article includes conflicts of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support. INFORMATION: Media advisory: The ...

Budget impact of gene therapy for sickle cell disease

2021-03-22
What The Study Did: This economic evaluation estimates the budget impact and affordability of a gene therapy for severe sickle cell disease from the perspective of U.S. Medicaid programs with the highest prevalence of sickle cell disease. Authors: Patrick DeMartino, M.D., of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.7140) Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including ...

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, neurodevelopmental outcomes among offspring

2021-03-22
What The Study Did: Researchers investigated associations of maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and the risk of autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and intellectual disability in children as well as overall cognitive performance. Authors: Judith S. Brand, Ph.D., of Örebro University in Örebro, Sweden, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2020.6856) Editor's Note: The article includes conflict of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions ...

Incidental findings in brain MRIs of children

2021-03-22
What The Study Did: Rates and significance of incidental findings in brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children were investigated in this study. Authors: Leo Sugrue, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, is the corresponding author. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.0306) Editor's Note: The article includes conflicts of interest and funding/support disclosures. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author ...

COVID-19 related cyber-attacks leveraged government announcements

COVID-19 related cyber-attacks leveraged government announcements
2021-03-22
Billions of people's lives changed across the world when the pandemic began, as we experienced a 'new normal' with more people being online than ever before With this there came a surge of unique cyber-crime related circumstances affecting society and businesses On some days 3 or 4 unique cyber-attacks were being reported during the pandemic, a consortium of researchers have found There has been a remarkable surge in cyber-security crime experienced during the global COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular significance between governmental policy announcements and cyber-crime campaigns. A consortium of researchers, including WMG, University of Warwick report that some days as many as 3 to 4 new cyber-attacks were being ...

BU researchers identify two drugs that delay bone marrow cancer development

2021-03-22
(Boston)--Primary myelofibrosis (PMF), a relatively rare but painful type of bone marrow cancer, disrupts the body's normal production of blood cells by causing extensive scarring in the bone marrow. Regrettably, few treatment options are available, with most of them being palliative in nature. The only curative treatment is a stem cell transplant, for which few patients are eligible. A new study by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) led by corresponding author Katya Ravid, DSc, has found that the drugs PXS-LOX_1 and PXS-LOX_2 are capable of slowing PMF's disease progression in experimental models. According to Ravid, professor of medicine ...

BU researchers explore forensic anthropology's current knowledge with transgendender bodies

2021-03-22
(Boston)--While transgender and gender-diverse individuals have historically been disproportionately susceptible to violence and homicides, the recent rise in visibility of ongoing trans-focused violence has highlighted how the medical-legal community, in general and forensic anthropology, in particular, have largely neglected trans and gender-diverse people. This is exemplified by a new study that found nearly 30 percent of forensic anthropologists surveyed had participated in a case involving a transgender individual, yet the vast majority (75 percent) were unfamiliar with gender-affirming surgeries. "Because medical interventions to treat the distress ...

Study finds racial equity in crisis standard of care guidelines

2021-03-22
(Boston)--There are two simultaneously occurring pandemics in the U.S.: Racism and COVID-19. "These mutualistic pandemics have thrown into stark focus the separate and unequal systems through which people access health care," explained corresponding author Emily Cleveland Manchanda, MD, assistant professor of emergency medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. Cleveland Manchanda and colleagues authored a JAMA Network Open commentary explaining that it is imperative that crisis standards of care (CSC), guidelines designed to ensure the fair allocation of scarce hospital resources across racial and ethnic groups, do not exacerbate racial inequities further. Their commentary is in response to a study also published in JAMA ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Walking, cycling and swimming likely best exercise for knee osteoarthritis

SGLT-2 diabetes drugs linked to lower risk of autoimmune diseases

Imposter study participants risk undermining patient care, warn experts

Ants alter their nest networks to prevent epidemics, study finds

Indian literary genius survived British imperialism in forgotten villages, research reveals

Longevity gene from supercentenarians offers hope for disease that causes rapid aging in children

​​​​​​​Climate change drove extreme wildfire seasons across the Americas, making burned areas around 30 times larger

Gene therapy delivers lasting immune protection in children with rare disorder

New world record set for fastest human whole genome sequencing, representing significant step towards revolutionizing genomic care in the NICU

Shedding light on materials in the physical, biological sciences

Study finds emotional tweets by politicians don’t always win followers and can backfire with diverse audiences

Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards announce 2025 Coach of the Year Award watch list

$3 million National Institute on Aging grant will provide much-needed support to underserved dementia caregivers

Study links obesity-driven fatty acids to breast cancer, warns against high-fat diets like keto

Did lead limit brain and language development in Neanderthals and other extinct hominids?

New study reveals alarming mental health and substance use disparities among LGBTQ+ youth

U.K. food insecurity is associated with mental health conditions

At least eight bat species commute or forage over pig farms in Northern Italy

Ancient teeth reveal mammalian responses to climate change in Southeast Asia

Targeting young adults beginning university may be especially effective for encouraging pro-environmental behaviors

This robotic skin allows tiny robots to navigate complex, fragile environments

‘Metabots’ shapeshift from flat sheets into hundreds of structures

Starting university boosts recycling and greener travel, a University of Bath study finds

How cilia choreograph their “Mexican wave”, enabling marine creatures to swim

Why women's brains face higher risk: scientists pinpoint X-chromosome gene behind MS and Alzheimer's

Ancient lead exposure shaped evolution of human brain

How the uplift of East Africa shaped its ecosystems: Climate model simulations reveal Miocene landscape transformation

Human Organ Chip technology sets stage for pan-influenza A CRISPR RNA therapies

Research alert: Bacterial chatter slows wound healing

American Society of Anesthesiologists names Patrick Giam, M.D., FASA, new president

[Press-News.org] Graduates of comprehensive preschool program less likely to be obese in adulthood