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Biomedical subjects

A J Hill

Publications and source records attributed to A J Hill.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

Dieting and the family context of eating in young adolescent children.

OBJECTIVES: The potential for undernutrition and links with eating disorders make early dieting an issue of concern. The aim of this research was to examine the eating patterns, social circumstances of eating, and parental use of food in young adolescent dieters. METHODS: Four hundred and two 12-year-old children (200 girls, 202 boys) completed assessments of dieting, eating patterns, food-related nurturance, and parental control of eating, together with body weight, height, and self-perception. RESULTS: Current dieting (20% girls, 8% boys) was strongly associated with fasting and dietary restraint. Highly restrained children ate fewer meals and snacks and reported significantly greater parental control of their eating. However, they did not differ in the social context of eating or in food-related nurturance. Dieting status was a stronger determinant than body weight of all these differences. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that 12-year-old dieters are quite serious in their nutritional intentions. They also confirm an active role for parents in their children's dieting. Both children and their parents are in need of age and gender-specific advice concerning eating and weight.

Child↗
PubMed1999

Vegetarianism in young women: another means of weight control?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the links between vegetarianism (meat avoidance) and weight control in young women. METHODS: Self-reported food habits (indicating meat avoidance and weight loss dieting) and dietary restraint (using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire [DEBQ]) were collected from 131 young adult women. Restraint scores and weight loss behavior were compared between vegetarians and nonvegetarians. In addition, reasons for meat avoidance were identified in the vegetarian subjects. RESULTS: Vegetarianism, broadly defined, was reported by 34.3% of participants. Vegetarians had significantly higher dietary restraint, but did not differ in current dieting. DISCUSSION: The relationship between vegetarianism and weight control is complex. Vegetarianism may be best seen as a method for complicating the normalization of eating rather than a simple risk factor for eating disorders.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Dieting awareness and low self-worth: related issues in 8-year-old girls.

OBJECTIVES: Since weight concerns and dieting are apparent before adolescence, this study examined the factors predictive of early dieting awareness. It was hypothesized that early dieting awareness would be negatively associated with perceived self-worth, particularly in girls. METHODS: One hundred seventy six 8-year-old children (86 girls, 90 boys) completed assessments of body shape preference, body and self-esteem, dieting awareness, and body weight and height. RESULTS: Children were more likely to advise a fictitious character, "Mary-Jane," to diet than they were to report dieting themselves. However, self-endorsed dieting was more strongly correlated with negative self-perception, especially in girls. Significant predictors of dieting awareness in girls included global self-worth (negatively), body mass index (BMI), and frequency of mother dieting (positively). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the view that young girls are drawn to weight control to improve their self-worth, and that mothers are influential in this regard. This early pattern of association is of questionable acceptability.

Body Image↗
PubMed1998

Food advertising on British children's television: a content analysis and experimental study with nine-year olds.

OBJECTIVES: The nature and significance of food advertising during children's television was examined in two studies: a content analysis of advertising (Study 1) and an investigation of the impact of food adverts on the self-perception of overweight children (Study 2). PARTICIPANTS: Study 1 monitored 91 h of children's broadcasting on four terrestrial and satellite stations in the UK. In Study 2, 103 children aged 9.75 y viewed two videotaped cartoons containing either food or non-food product advertisements. MEASURES: Study 1 used a detailed record of advertisement style and content. Study 2 included a self-report measure of current state, and measures of self-esteem, dietary restraint, body weight and height. RESULTS: Half of the 828 adverts were for food products, 60% of which were for breakfast cereals and confectionery/ snacks. Food advertisements used significantly more animation, stories, humour and the promotion of fun/happiness/mood alteration. In Study 2, significant interactions between advertisement type and overweight were observed on ratings of perceived health and appetite for sweets. CONCLUSION: While small changes are apparent, advertisements during children's television are still dominated by those for foods of questionable nutritional value, in a manner designed to engage attention and emotional response. That overweight children appeared more influenced by their personal enhancement message, suggests the value of further work identifying who is most influenced and by what features of advertising.

Advertising↗
PubMed1998

Fat, plain, but not friendless: self-esteem and peer acceptance of obese pre-adolescent girls.

OBJECTIVES: Poor self-esteem is assumed, but not consistently found, in obese children and adolescents. The aims of this study were a detailed analysis of body weight influences on self-esteem and peer acceptance in pre-adolescent girls. DESIGN: A cross-sectional comparison of girls in four weight (body mass index [BMI]) groups; underweight (< 10%), normal weight (10-85%), overweight (85-95%), and obese (> 95%). MEASURES: Assessments of body weight and height, body shape preference, self-esteem and peer nominations of popularity and attractiveness were collected from 313 girls aged 9y. RESULTS: Obese and overweight girls had significantly lower physical appearance and athletic competence self-esteem than their normal weight peers. Body weight had no impact on girls' rated importance of self-esteem domains. Heavier girls were significantly less likely to be peer nominated as pretty, but did not differ in their popularity. CONCLUSIONS: Prior to adolescence, physical appearance rather than global self-esteem is affected by overweight, and popularity preserved. Further research is required into the mechanisms of peer influence, and its consequences, in obese and overweight young adolescents.

Body Constitution↗
PubMed1998

Psychological health in a non-clinical sample of obese women.

OBJECTIVES: The relationship between obesity and psychological health remains unclear. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of obesity on the psychological health of a non-clinical sample of obese women, to investigate binge eating in this group, and to examine the predictors of psychological distress. DESIGN: A cross-sectional comparison of women divided into three obesity groups (body mass index (BMI)= 30-34.9, 35-39.9, > or = 40) was used. PARTICIPANTS: 179 women with a BMI > 30 (mean age 45 y) returned a questionnaire included in a subscriber-only magazine for women of size 16+. MEASURES: The questionnaire asked for information on demographics, weight history and eating behaviour, and included established self-report measures of body shape assessment, body shape satisfaction, dietary restraint, mental health state and self-esteem. RESULTS: The heaviest women (BMI > 40) did not differ on measures of mental health, but expressed the greatest dissatisfaction with their body weight, shape and appearance, and had the lowest self-esteem. Frequent binge eating was reported by 25% of all women. Self-esteem and peer relationships, but not body weight, were highly significant negative predictors of poor mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Poor mental health is not the inevitable consequence even of the most extreme obesity, but is related to both low self-esteem and poor peer relationships. These, and problems with eating control, are features of psychological morbidity that require recognition and therapeutic attention.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Mothers, daughters and dieting: investigating the transmission of weight control.

OBJECTIVES: Research by Pike & Rodin (1991) found higher levels of weight concern and dissatisfaction with family functioning in mothers of eating disordered adolescent girls. The present study sought to extend this research by examining the maternal influences on weight and dieting concerns at a younger age. DESIGN: A cross-sectional comparison of high and low dietary restraint girls and their mothers was used. METHODS: Two groups of 20 11-year-old girls and their mothers completed assessments of dietary restraint, body shape preference, self-perception, family functioning and body weight and height. RESULTS: Mothers of high restraint girls did not differ from comparison mothers in their current level of dieting, but did report more between-meal snacking and fasting. In addition, they rated their daughters' attractiveness significantly lower than the other mothers. Furthermore, families with a highly restrained daughter scored significantly lower on perceived family cohesion, organization and moral-religious emphasis. CONCLUSIONS: The parallel with the findings of Pike & Rodin supports the role that mothers may play in the transmission of cultural values regarding weight, shape and appearance. Importantly, it also places early dieting within a wider context of dissatisfaction with family functioning.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Predicting the stages of smoking acquisition according to the theory of planned behavior.

PURPOSE: The goal of the present study was to determine the variables from the theory of planned behavior that are responsible for differentiating the stages of smoking acquisition. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 360 secondary I level students from a possible population of 500 students. This questionnaire was designed by the researchers according to Ajzen and Fishbein's and Ajzen's recommendations regarding the predictive model variables. It also contained sociodemographic and personal variables. Data from this cross-sectional study were analyzed using multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The multivariate analysis of variance indicated an overall significant difference in terms of the three psychosocial variables (Pillais approximation F12,867 = 25.22; p < or = 0.000). The analyses of variance showed that the variables attitude (F4,289 = 112.25; p = 0.0001), subjective norm (F4,289 = 23.48; p = 0.0001), and perceived behavioral control (F4,289 = 87.92; p = 0.0001) contributed to differentiating the stages of smoking acquisition. The discriminant function analysis indicated that attitude (0.826) and perceived behavioral control (0.725) dominate the construct; the contribution of the subjective norm (0.375) is less important. Finally, these variables from the theory of planned behavior permitted the correct classification of 68.4% of adolescents into the stages of smoking acquisition. CONCLUSION: The application of the theory of planned behavior seems to increase understanding of the stages of smoking acquisition. The distribution of students in the five stages shows that in the advanced stages, refraining from smoking is more difficult, and that smoking advantages surpass disadvantages. These findings represent only a step toward the development of interventions aimed at warning adolescents against smoking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The cardiovascular responses to double lumen endobronchial intubation and the effect of esmolol.

The cardiovascular responses to double lumen endobronchial intubation and the effect of esmolol were examined in two groups of 10 ASA 2 & 3 patients undergoing pulmonary surgery in a double blind, placebo-controlled study. Endobronchial intubation was associated with a significant increase in arterial pressure and heart rate (p = 0.004), and a significant increase in plasma noradrenaline concentrations (p < 0.01) in the control group. The haemodynamic changes were smaller (p < 0.001) in the patients who received esmolol compared with the changes in the the control group. The increase in plasma noradrenaline concentrations was significantly greater (p < 0.05) in the esmolol group. The pressor response to endobronchial intubation in this study was of a similar magnitude to that known to occur in response to tracheal intubation.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1996

Mutation characterization of CFTR gene in 206 Northern Irish CF families: thirty mutations, including two novel, account for approximately 94% of CF chromosomes.

A variety of mutation detection techniques, including restriction endonuclease digestion, allele specific oligonucleotides, and automated fluorescent sequencing, were used in the identification of 15 CFTR mutations representing 86.7% of CF chromosomes in 206 Northern Irish cystic fibrosis (CF) families. A systematic analysis of the 27 exons and intron/exon boundaries of the CFTR gene was performed using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) in an attempt to characterise the 55 unknown CF mutations in 51 patients. Twenty different mutations were detected by DGGE on 30 chromosomes accounting for a further 7.3% of CF alleles. Fifteen of these mutations had not previously been found in Northern Ireland, and two are novel, M1I(G > T) and V562L. In total, 30 CFTR mutations account for 93.9% of the 412 Northern Irish CF chromosomes tested. The three major CF mutations in Northern Ireland are delta F508, G551D, and R117H with respective frequencies of 68.0%, 5.1%, and 4.1%. The efficacy of the DGGE technique was proven by the detection of 77 out of 77 control variants from all the CFTR exons. DGGE is a highly efficient and sensitive method for mutation screening especially in large genes where the mutation spectrum is known to be heterogeneous.

Alleles↗
PubMed1996

Lassoed with a J-wire.

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Catheterization, Central Venous↗
PubMed1996

[Predictors of regular physical activity in participants in a Canadian health promotion program].

A series of predisposing and facilitating factors were examined to determine their contribution to the adoption of regular physical activity. The original longitudinal study Healthstyles was a comparative, before and after design, in which the participants (N = 640) were involved for 18 months in a multibehaviour health promotion program. The theoretical framework of Green, Kreuter, Deeps, and Partridge (1980) used for this study, the PRECEDE Model, reveals the role of three categories of factors at different levels of influence. In a correlational study, the sedentary subjects (N = 377) of a secondary analysis of data, were classified at the end of the program according to two behavioral status: adoption or non-adoption of regular physical activity. The nature of the study, the results of the preliminary analysis and the testing of the hypothesis, required a multivariate analysis approach. The logistic regression technique was used to differentiate between the adopters and the non-adopters. The results regarding the role of the combined predisposing and facilitating factors, show that only some of the predisposing factors predicts the adoption of regular physical activity. The adopters are relatively younger (OR = 0.48) males (OR = 1.7) with good or excellent self-evaluated health (OR = 0.51) and with a high score at the onset of the program, on the internal locus of control scale (OR = 1.8). Moreover, they are not different from the non-adopters in their need for external support in the change process. The impact of these results has been examined in terms of target groups and of content and approaches for future health promotion programs and research.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Body shape perception and dieting in preadolescent British Asian girls: links with eating disorders.

Body shape dissatisfaction and dieting have previously been reported in 9-year-old Caucasian girls. As British adolescents of Asian origin appear at least as vulnerable to eating disorders, the present study investigated these issues in preadolescent British Asian girls. Fifty-five Asian and 42 Caucasian 9-year-olds completed assessments of dietary restraint, body esteem, body satisfaction, and body figure preferences. The study revealed a high priority for thinness in both the Asian and Caucasian girls. Their desire for thinness was present even though the Asian girls had a significantly lower body weight than their Caucasian peers. Both groups of high restraint girls expressed body shape discontent and lower body esteem. In addition, an association was found in the Asian sample between reported dieting and the cultural orientation of their family. These results demonstrate the wide appeal of thinness, which in combination with intercultural and intrafamilial conflict, may strongly influence eating and contribute to the development of eating disorders.

Body Image↗
PubMed1995

Serotoninergic manipulation, meal-induced satiety and eating pattern: effect of fluoxetine in obese female subjects.

Twelve nondepressed healthy female obese subjects (BMI > 30 kg/m2) took part in a study which conformed to a double-blind randomized crossover design. Each subject acted as her own control across 2 weeks of treatment with either 60 mg of the 5-HT reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine or matching placebo. On days 7 and 14 of both treatment phases subjects were provided with fixed energy lunch meals high in either CHO or fat. The effect of these meals on satiety during the fluoxetine and placebo phases was assessed by a battery of procedures. Subjects felt less hungry after consuming the high CHO meal than after consuming the high-fat meal. They also felt less hungry when taking fluoxetine than when taking the placebo. Analysis of energy intake from the test meal revealed a main effect of prior lunch meal type (high CHO or high fat) and a main effect of drug treatment. Subjects consumed an average of 574 kcal following the high CHO meal compared to 689 kcal following the high-fat meal. Subjects also consumed an average of 532 kcal when taking fluoxetine compared to 730 kcal when taking the placebo. Fluoxetine did not exert any significant effects on macronutrient selection. Mean daily energy intake, calculated from food diary records, was 1881 kcal when subjects were taking the placebo compared to 1460 kcal when taking fluoxetine (a reduction of 22.4%). Fluoxetine treatment produced a significant weight loss of 1.97 kg over the two weeks of treatment compared to a weight loss of only 0.04 kg on placebo.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Techniques for the experimental measurement of human eating behaviour and food intake: a practical guide.

OBJECTIVE: Increases in the prevalence of overweight and obesity strengthen the importance of understanding human eating behaviour. A variety of methodologies and strategies have been devised during the last three decades with the intention of placing human food consumption under experimental scrutiny. The purpose of this review is to examine their diversity, their usage, and their strengths and limitations. CONTENT OF REVIEW: It is argued that meaningful research should be conducted within an explicit theoretical framework and with an awareness of how the methodological context influences instrument use and data interpretation. Techniques describing and quantifying the act of eating, the food consumed and the disposition to eat are reviewed. CONCLUSION: A strong and comprehensive methodology devised to measure the various components of eating behaviour is essential to achieve an understanding of the underlying causal mechanisms. A practical guide such as this should encourage further research and the construction of novel and more powerful procedures to elucidate appetite control and its failure.

Appetite↗
PubMed1995

Fat, friendless and unhealthy: 9-year old children's perception of body shape stereotypes.

OBJECTIVE: Society has a very negative view of overweight, leading to prejudice and discrimination. In an examination of the scope of these views, 9-year old children's attributions of the social functioning and health of thin and overweight body shapes were investigated. METHOD: One hundred and eighty eight girls and boys completed a series of ratings of four silhouette figures depicting a thin and heavy boy and girl. The children's own body shape preference, dietary restraint, height and weight were also measured. RESULTS: The ratings of the four silhouette variations were dominated by the size of the figure being judged. The overweight body shape was associated with poor social functioning, impaired academic success, and low perceived health, healthy eating and fitness. Gender and the raters own body weight had only limited impact on these stereotypical judgements. Children's judgements of themselves on the same attributes showed a greater perceived relevance of weight for girls and a confusion of healthy eating with dieting. CONCLUSION: Pre-adolescent children's perception of thinness and overweight echo the prejudices against overweight voiced by society. Health promotion at all ages will require a more considered presentation of the health implications of overweight.

Anthropometry↗