OU researcher examines the healthy and unhealthy snack choices of fourth- and fifth-grade students

Fighting childhood obesity in America through health nutrition education

2012-05-11

(Press-News.org) A health nutrition education program to fight childhood obesity in America is a possible outcome of a study by a University of Oklahoma researcher and a colleague. The study looked at factors affecting a child's decision when choosing healthy or unhealthy snacks.

Paul Branscum, assistant professor, OU Department of Health and Exercise Science, College of Arts and Sciences, surveyed 167 fourth- and fifth-grade students in the Midwest to find out what snacks the students were eating between meals. Branscum asked the students to record their choices over a 24-hour-period.

Survey results show students have more control when choosing snacks and, unfortunately, the high-caloric snacks are the least expensive. Overall, the group averaged 300 calories from high-calorie snacks, such as chips, cookies and candies—almost 17% of their daily caloric intake needs. It also showed children were consuming 45 calories from fruit and vegetable snacks, which is about half a piece of fruit.

Snacking has been linked to childhood obesity, so it is concerning to learn that female students consume more higher-caloric snacks than male students. African-American children consumed the least high-calorie snacks when compared with Hispanic, Caucasian and Asian children.

The study found that snack choices resulted from the student's positive or negative intentions towards choosing healthy snacks. Also, a student's snack choices resulted from their attitudes toward the snacks, pressure felt from peers and family members to eat healthy snacks, and the ability to control the choice of snacks.

"Changing a student's attitude toward healthier snacks lies in the ability to show the immediate benefits of a healthier lifestyle," says Branscum. "It's doubtful they will see the long-term benefits that result from fighting obesity, which leads to chronic diseases in adulthood."

### Branscum and a colleague from the University of Cincinnati published the results of this study in the International Quarterly of Community Health Education. For more information about this study, contact Paul Branscum at pbranscum@ou.edu.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Mechanistic discovery links psoriasis to increased risk of cardiovascular disease

2012-05-11

The link between psoriasis and cardiovascular events has been observed for years, however the mechanics were unknown. For the first time, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers have discovered preclinical evidence demonstrating that the inflammatory skin disease leads to cardiovascular disease. Further, the research demonstrated that aggressive reversal of psoriasis reduces the cardiovascular risk as well. Psoriasis is a chronic disease of the immune system that appears as raised, inflamed, scaly red patches of skin and is often associated with intense ...

University of Tennessee professor looks at how stars' endorsements can help -- or hurt -- politicians

2012-05-11

Actor George Clooney is planning a fundraising dinner to raise $10 million for President Barack Obama. Comedian Chelsea Handler and actor Tom Hanks are also Obama supporters. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy, rocker Ted Nugent and country singer Trace Adkins have said they back the likely Republican nominee, Mitt Romney. Star-studded endorsements may be attention grabbing, but does it influence voters? Yes, it does, according to research recently published by a political scientist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Professor Anthony Nownes has found that celebrities ...

Establishing a threshold for surgery in recurrent acute rhinosinusitis

2012-05-11

Alexandria, VA — A study in the May 2012 issue of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery suggests a threshold for when to choose surgery over medical therapy for recurrent acute rhinosinusitis (RARS) based on the patients' lost productivity in response to RARS and each treatment strategy. The authors compare the burden of surgery and the burden of disease. On one hand, "Surgery and postoperative convalescence for comprehensive endoscopic sinus surgery can take 5 to 7 days or 3 to 5 workdays…," they write. However, the impact of each bout of infection also diminishes quality ...

Screening for esophageal disease with unsedated transnasal endoscopy is safe and feasible

2012-05-11

OAK BROOK, Ill. – May 10, 2012 – Researchers report that unsedated transnasal endoscopy is a feasible, safe, and well-tolerated method to screen for esophageal disease in a primary care population. This study is the largest reported experience with transnasal endoscopy in the United States. The study appears in the May issue of GIE: Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE). Esophageal cancer is the most rapidly increasing type of neoplasia in terms of incidence in the United ...

Smoking ban reduced maternal smoking and preterm birth risk

2012-05-11

New Rochelle, NY, May 10, 2012—A citywide ban on public smoking in Colorado led to significant decreases in maternal smoking and preterm births, providing the first evidence in the U.S. that such interventions can impact maternal and fetal health, according to an article in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Women's Health website at http://www.liebertpub.com/jwh. Prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke–whether the mother is a smoker or exposure is from environmental ...

Discovery in cell signaling could help fight against melanoma

2012-05-11

The human body does a great job of generating new cells to replace dead ones but it is not perfect. Cells need to communicate with or signal to each other to decide when to generate new cells. Communication or signaling errors in cells lead to uncontrolled cell growth and are the basis of many cancers. At The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Medical School, scientists have made a key discovery in cell signaling that is relevant to the fight against melanoma skin cancer and certain other fast-spreading tumors. The scientists report that ...

Economic theory actually works in health care

2012-05-11

WASHINGTON – A study of 7,424 privately insured colon cancer patients found that managed care presence in the market and hospital competition increased the likelihood laparoscopic surgery to treat colon cancer lowered costs, a national team of researchers led by a professor at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services reported in the journal Cancer, May 8, 2012. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S., and surgical resection is the standard of care. In 2004, there were approximately 134,000 colectomies performed ...

Research reveals novel transport mechanism for large ribonucleoproteins

2012-05-11

WORCESTER, Mass. — The movement of genetic materials, such as RNA and ribosomes, from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is a critical component in a cell's ability to make the proteins necessary for essential biological functions. Until now, it was believed the nuclear pore complex was the sole pathway between the cell nucleus and cytoplasm for these materials. New evidence published in Cell by Vivian Budnik, PhD, Melissa J. Moore, PhD, and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, reveals a novel budding mechanism, similar to the process used by some viruses, ...

Long-lived rodents have high levels of brain-protecting factor

2012-05-11

SAN ANTONIO (May 10, 2012) — The typical naked mole rat lives 25 to 30 years, during which it shows little decline in activity, bone health, reproductive capacity and cognitive ability. What is the secret to this East African rodent's long, healthy life? Scientists from the United States and Israel found a clue. From infancy to old age, naked mole rats are blessed with large amounts of a protein essential for normal brain function. "Naked mole rats have the highest level of a growth factor called NRG-1 in the cerebellum. Its levels are sustained throughout their life, ...

Helping Hands reaches out to patients with cerebral palsy

2012-05-11

HOUSTON – (May 9, 2012) – With the aid of multiple force sensors and a digital dinosaur, a team of Rice University seniors known as Helping Hands hopes to restore strength and flexibility to the hands and wrists of children with cerebral palsy. "These kids have a real problem with their hands," said Jenna Desmarais, a senior at Rice majoring in mechanical engineering. "The fingers and wrists are locked into a sort of claw-like position. Even after surgery to correct it, they need physical therapy to get stronger." The team's rehabilitation device, the Dino-Might, was ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

University of Phoenix College of Social and Behavioral Sciences leadership publishes white paper on trauma-informed education

Identifying the best high-biomass sorghum hybrids based on biomass yield potential and feedstock quality affected by nitrogen fertility management under various environments