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Biomedical subjects

T Baranowski

Publications and source records attributed to T Baranowski.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Children's frequency of participation in moderate to vigorous physical activities.

Third and fourth grade boys (n = 422) and girls (n = 390) in four Texas elementary schools reported their participation in moderate to vigorous physical activities (MVPAs) over a 3-day period. Students were surveyed during class on successive days. On a subsample (n = 44), the agreement between reported and observed physical activities during physical education or recess was 86.3%. Running, walking fast, games and sports, and bicycling accounted for 70% of Total MVPAs. Of Total MVPAs reported, 47.0% for boys and 44.6% for girls were 10 min or longer in duration (LMVPA). The average number of LMVPAs per day was 1.7 for both boys and girls. Students reported significantly more occurrences of LMVPAs out of school than during school. Significant interaction between grade and gender indicated that third grade boys reported more Total MVPAs and LMVPAs than third grade girls, but fourth grade boys reported fewer Total MVPAs and LMVPAs than fourth grade girls reported fewer Total MVPAs and LMVPAs than fourth grade girls. During the 3-day reporting period, 12.3% of boys and 13.3% of girls reported no LMVPAs, and 35.6% of boys and girls reported fewer than one LMVPAs per day. While the majority of children reported obtaining at least some activity daily, a substantial proportion of children in this sample reported fewer than one LMVPA daily, indicating that many children may not be obtaining adequate amounts of physical activity.

Child↗
PubMed1990

Lipids and lipoproteins in a triethnic sample of 5- or 6-year-old Type A or Type B children.

The Type A behavior pattern (TABP) has been proposed as a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Several studies have indicated an association between Type A behavior and serum cholesterol levels. If the effects of TABP are mediated by conventional CHD risk factors, evidence for a causal relationship between TABP and CHD would be strengthened if associations were detected among the young. This paper addresses the following: (1) Do levels of serum lipids and lipoproteins among young children vary by ethnicity, gender, or TABP? (2) Can obtained differences be accounted for by possible confounding factors, such as SES or body composition? ANCOVA revealed no significant ethnic, gender, or TABP effects for total serum cholesterol or HDLc. Analyses of LDLc and triglycerides disclosed significant main effects for gender and for ethnicity. A Competition subscale by ethnicity interaction was the only effect to approach statistical significance for TABP. The strongest findings were a replication of differences in lipid and lipoprotein risk factors by ethnicity.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1990

A center-based program for exercise change among black-American families.

A center-based program was designed and implemented to promote aerobic physical activity among healthy Black-American families with children in the fifth through seventh grades. Ninety-four Black-American families were actively recruited and randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. Families in the experimental group were encouraged to participate in a program with the following features: one education and two fitness sessions per week for 14 weeks; educational sessions that included individual counseling, small group education, aerobic activity, and snack components; located in a convenient building cherished by the community; aerobic activity sessions in a fitness center outfitted and staffed according to modern characteristics; a variety of incentives including free transportation and babysitting and reminders to promote attendance. Percent participation was low, with about 20% participating in the desired fitness center sessions by the end of the program. As a result of low participation, no differences were detected between experimental and control groups on indicators of cardiovascular fitness. In postprogram interviews, conflicts with work and school events were the most commonly reported reasons for nonattendance. We concluded that because of difficulties in attendance, center-based programs appear to have limited value as the sole modality for intervention in public health programs for promoting physical activity among healthy, low income Black-American families with young children. More comprehensive community-based programs are likely to be needed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Scaling of response scale adverbs among black-American adults.

Although some attention has been given to the scale characteristics of modifying adverbs in Likert scales, the existing work has been concerned primarily with majority group members. Toward the goal of identifying valid labels for use on Likert scales with black-American respondents, 105 black-American adults scaled each of 27 adverbs (e.g., very, most) on four different adjectives (e.g., important). Four criteria for a set of ideal adverbs were identified for univalent scales. No set of four adverbs, however, met the criteria. Differences in the mean ratings of eight of the adverbs were found by sex group and across the four adjectives modified. The adverbs were not scored at the extremes of the continuum, despite our asking the respondents to rate the adverbs used to define the end points of the continuum. High variances were found across all adverbs. Further research must address the respondents' perceptual frame in the use of such scales.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Ethnicity, infant-feeding practices, and childhood adiposity.

There has been professional concern that the type of milk used for infant-feeding may lead to adiposity. Studies of the relationship between infant milk-feeding and adiposity, however, have led to inconsistent results. This study investigated the relationship of infant-feeding practices to three indicators of adiposity: body weight, body mass index (BMI) and sum of seven skinfolds. The sample includes children at 3 or 4 years of age, in three ethnic groups. Multivariate techniques assessed the relationship among practices of infant-feeding with three indicators of adiposity, while considering potential confounding variables. Although a weak bivariate relationship was detected between the duration of breastfeeding and body weight, none of the measures of infant-feeding were related to the three indicators of adiposity. Black-American girls had smaller skinfolds than Anglo- or Mexican-American girls, with no ethnic group differences among boys. Concerns about adiposity due to methods of infant-feeding can be allayed, at least among 3- or 4-year-old children.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1989

Validity of the observation of children's physical activity.

An observational method for quantifying intensity of activity was validated against min-by-min heart rates during physical education periods. The mean heart rate values increased as the activity points increased. Moderate average correlations were obtained between the min-by-min activity points and heart rates. A time series regression analysis accounted for 72% of the variance in heart rate values with a model combining heart rate in the previous min and activity points. Further work on estimates of average metabolic units for activity categories will enable future investigators to obtain more precise estimates of energy expenditure from this observation system.

Child↗
PubMed1989

School promotion of healthful diet and physical activity: impact on learning outcomes and self-reported behavior.

The Go For Health Program included classroom health education and environmental changes in school lunch and physical education to foster healthful diet and exercise among elementary school children. Interventions were based on social learning theory and implementation was based on an organizational change strategy for school innovations. Two schools were assigned to intervention and two to control conditions. Cognitive measures (behavioral capability, self-efficacy, behavioral expectations) and self-reported diet and exercise behavior were assessed at baseline and following intervention. Data were analyzed by ANOVA using the student and then the school as the unit of analysis. Statistically significant changes were observed for diet behavioral capability, self-efficacy, and behavioral expectations, use of salt, and exercise behavioral capability (fourth grade), self-efficacy (fourth grade) and frequency of participation in aerobic activity. The results provide evidence for program impact on learning outcomes and student behavior.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed1989

Ethnic differences in anthropometric characteristics of young children and their parents.

The distribution of body fat, or fat patterning, is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, independent of obesity. Furthermore, the incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes varies by ethnicity. We documented ethnic differences in anthropometric characteristics and body fat distribution between Anglo, Black, and Mexican American men (n = 101), women (n = 245), boys (n = 111), and girls (n = 111). We used aggregates of skinfold measures to examine ethnic differences in the deposition of fat in body compartments (body, trunk, leg, and arm) and analyzed trunk-extremity skinfold ratios to determine which best reflected ethnic differences in fat distribution. The results show that Mexican American mothers have larger skinfold ratios and more body fat (as determined by skinfold aggregates) than either Anglo or Black American mothers, whereas Black American mothers have larger ratios than Anglo American mothers. Mexican American fathers also have larger skinfold ratios but not more body fat (skinfold aggregates) than Anglo American fathers. Mexican American fathers have more body fat than Black American fathers, but we found no differences between skinfold ratios. The ethnic differences among children in skinfold ratios and aggregates are similar to those found among fathers, with more differences among girls than boys. Fat patterning differences do exist among the three ethnicities, with greater trunk fat among Mexican and Black Americans. Those ethnicities are known to be at higher risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Ethnic variation in blood pressure among preadolescent children.

As part of a study on methods for assessing diet and exercise among 163 3rd to 6th grade students, data were collected on blood pressure, diet, urinary electrolytes, aerobic activity, resting pulse, and body composition. Data were collected on a stratified sample, with almost equal numbers of children of both sexes from 3rd or 4th and 5th or 6th grades; from three ethnicities: Anglo-, Black- and Mexican-American. Three resting blood pressures were obtained using a Hawksley random zero sphygmomanometer. Data analytic procedures relied on analyses of variance and covariance to assess differences across design factors in blood pressure, with dietary sodium, resting pulse, body surface area, and energy expended as covariates. No differences were detected across ethnic groups in systolic pressures, but Mexican-American children were shown to have significantly higher diastolic fourth phase pressures than Anglo- or Black-American children. Only the dietary variables differed across ethnic groups, but not in the same pattern. Differences in the covariates did not account for the difference across ethnic groups in diastolic pressures.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1988

A comparison of four commonly used nutrient database programs.

The present study evaluated the comparability of two microcomputer systems and two mainframe nutrient database systems. Sixty 24-hour recalls were analyzed on each system. Analysis of the nutrient values obtained from each system revealed several significant differences between Short Report and the other three systems. There were no significant differences between DINE, NCC, and UTNDB. Attempts to reveal the source of this error were not successful.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

School promotion of healthful diet and exercise behavior: an integration of organizational change and social learning theory interventions.

In the Go For Health project, interventions based on organizational change and social learning theory facilitate changes in diet and exercise behavior by elementary school children. Baseline data documented the need for behavior change. Based on chemical analyses, average per meal amounts of total fat and sodium were higher than national recommendations: total fat was 29.3% higher than U.S. Dietary Goals; sodium was 107.4% greater than recommended levels. Observations of students in physical education class revealed children moved through space 50.1% of the time and moved continuously an average of 2.2 minutes per class period. These findings suggest the need for policy and practice changes in the school environment to enable children to engage in more healthful diet and exercise behavior.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1987

Aerobic physical activity among third- to sixth-grade children.

We observed the level of activity, and determined which of 24 third- to sixth-grade children were present during that activity, for two weekdays per child. No events of aerobic activity, as defined by nationally accepted criteria, were detected in that 48 days of observation. By a less stringent criterion, only half the children engaged in aerobic activity on any one day. With regard to who was active, there was no evidence for day-to-day consistency. Fathers were virtually absent during periods of activity. Issues relating to promoting aerobic activity are discussed.

Child↗
PubMed1986

The accuracy of children's self-reports of diet: Family Health Project.

This study was designed to test the accuracy of four different methods for enabling children in the third to sixth grades to record their frequency of consumption of foods high in any of four targeted nutrients. The forms varied in two ways: recording the whole day or a segment of the day (morning, afternoon, or evening) or use or non-use of pictures of the food items. The accuracy of the children's recording of food consumption was validated by observation of their behavior for 2 continuous 12-hour days. Twenty-four children in the third to sixth grades were observed for each of the 2 days. An 82.9% agreement was obtained between the child's self-reported food frequency and the observer's record of the child's consumption. Ethnicity slightly affected the accuracy of form completion, while gender and grade level of the children did not. The results of this study validate the accuracy with which children record diet using a food frequency of consumption method.

Child↗
PubMed1986

Attitudes toward breastfeeding.

To understand why some lower socioeconomic status mothers delivering at a state university hospital breastfeed, while others do not, 26 attitude items were administered in a survey of 358 mothers. A factor analysis of these items yielded four interpretable factors: benefits to infant, social inconvenience, personal inconvenience, and physical inconvenience-medical benefits to child. These factors were significantly related to breastfeeding within each level of ethnicity and marital status. The results imply that emphasizing the benefits for the infant, and providing strategies for minimizing personal inconveniences, should promote breastfeeding in these populations.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1985

Methodologic issues in self-report of health behavior.

Self-reports of behavior are the most commonly used method for collecting outcome data in health education programs, but they are subject to a variety of sources of measurement error. Problems of measurement in some recently reported education program evaluations are identified, and a model is proposed to identify systematically the major influences for accuracy of self-reported measures of behavior. Several methodologic studies on the skill aspect of self-report form completion are briefly described, and eight steps to promote more accurate self-report of health behaviors are proposed.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1984

The influence of inorganic phosphate and ATP on the kinetics of bovine heart muscle pyruvate kinase.

The mechanism of activation by inorganic phosphate and ATP of cardiac muscle pyruvate kinase was studied with the aid of steady-state kinetics. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity to a final specific activity of 400 units/mg (phosphate buffer, pH 7.6, 25 degrees C). At pH 7.6 the enzyme displays Michaelis-Menten kinetics with respect to both its substrates, phosphoenolpyruvate and ADP. Substrate kinetic constants are: app.Km(phosphoenolpyruvate) = 0.04 mM, app.Km(ADP) = 0.22 mM. Under the conditions used in the standard assay the specific activity is greatly enhanced by inorganic phosphate (50 mM) or ATP (2.5 mM). Each of these modifiers, acting separately, increases the Vmax without seriously affecting Michaelis constants and Hill coefficients. In the presence of both Pi and ATP, only a decrease in Vmax was observed. The kinetics of activation by inorganic phosphate of pyruvate kinase was examined. Studying the effect of varying concentrations of Pi on the initial rate we obtained a hyperbolic saturation curve with the app.Km(Pi) = 20 mM and Vmax = 167 units/mg. The evidence is presented that inorganic phosphate is a substrate for a side reaction catalyzed by cardiac pyruvate kinase. It is shown that in the presence of pyruvate, inorganic phosphate and ATP in the assay system, Pi is incorporated into acid-labile products of this reaction, inorganic pyrophosphate being one of them. These findings indicate the existence of an alternative reaction catalyzed by pyruvate kinase by which energy may be stored in the form of inorganic pyrophosphate.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗