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Biomedical subjects

T Baranowski

Publications and source records attributed to T Baranowski.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Incidence of breast-feeding in a low socioeconomic group of mothers in the United States: ethnic patterns.

Breast-feeding has been shown to have increased in incidence during recent years in the United States. However, this increase is not particularly evident in lower socioeconomic groups. Factors associated with the decision to breast-feed or not were investigated in a population of 379 mothers. Self-completed questionnaires were obtained from 94.5% of these mothers. Data with respect to demographics, reproductive history, prenatal care, and education were collected. Only 27.2% of the study population indicated that they intended to breast-feed. Using the chi2 test for equality of proportions, marital status, head of household, maternal and paternal ethnicity, maternal education, income, and number of pregnancy were found to be the most important variables associated with breast-feeding. The effect of ethnicity predominated over that of the other demographic variables when they were examined jointly within ethnic groups. The effect of ethnicity was apparent when the number of each ethnic group in the study population was compared with the percent of that group that intended to breast-feed: 145 Anglo-Americans, 43.5% breast-feeding; 131 black Americans, 9.2%; 62 Mexican Americans, 22.6%; 19 others, 42.1%. The importance of ethnicity in the decision to breast-feed has probably been underestimated. Efforts to increase breast-feeding in the United States ought to be designed with full consideration of this factor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Social support, social influence, ethnicity and the breastfeeding decision.

A survey was conducted of all mothers delivering infants at a university medical center hospital in the month of July, 1981. The survey was conducted within 48 hours of delivery and addressed factors related to the breastfeeding decision. The mother's response to the question concerning choice of infant feeding was verified against the feeding records. One set of questions concerned the perceived general supportiveness toward breastfeeding of six individuals significant to the mother. Another set of questions identified who was most influential in the mother's breast or bottle feeding decision. The pattern of significant bivariate relationships between a person's supportiveness and breastfeeding varied across ethnic and maritial status groups. Single and multiple logistic analyses were conducted within ethnic groups to identify from whom support was most important for initiating breastfeeding. Among Black-Americans, support from a close friend was most important. Among Mexican-Americans, support from the mother's mother was most important. Among Anglo-Americans, support from the male partner was important. A broad variety of ensuing research issues are raised. An implication is that social support may be an important interventive variable, but the potentially supportive individual to be reached by an interventive program varies by ethnic group.

Black or African American↗
PubMed1983

Theory-based health education activities for third to sixth grade children.

Eight educational activities based on social learning and social support theories were used as part of a comprehensive cardiovascular risk reduction program for families with children in the third to sixth grades. These activities focused on providing the children with skills in recognizing high-salt and high-saturated fat foods, preparing such foods, resisting pressures to each such foods, increasing aerobic activity and providing support to peers and family in attempting such changes. Data analyses revealed significantly greater decreases in high-salt and high-saturated, fat food consumption and perceived increases in aerobic activity, in the experimental than the control group. The participative, enjoyment and inexpensive aspects of these activities are emphasized to encourage their use in school health programs.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1983

The family health project: cardiovascular risk reduction education for children and parents.

The principles of family support and of social learning theories were applied to a feasibility study of working directly with family units in a health education program. Twenty-four Anglo, Black, and Mexican-American families of young elementary school children participated in a 3-month cardiovascular risk reduction education project which included eight weekly evening sessions designed to assist families to decrease the frequency of consumption of foods high in sodium and in saturated fats, and to increase the frequency of aerobic exercise. Statistically significant differences between randomly assigned treatment and control groups were noted for reported consumption of high sodium foods and of foods high in saturated fats. Experimental subjects gained more knowledge of factors influencing cardiovascular risk, even though the intervention was behaviorally, rather than cognitively, based. This method of health promotion is deserving of further study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Kinetic properties of human muscle pyruvate kinase.

The steady-state kinetics of human skeletal muscle pyruvate kinase (MA) and its RNA-complex (MB) has been examined and compared. Kinetic studies revealed significant differences in kinetic properties with respect to free and complex form of pyruvate kinase. The MA form follows a simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics in contrast with the MB form, which displays a negative cooperativity with respect to ADP. Vmax for the complex is 40-60% that for free enzyme. Heterologous RNA is a noncompetitive inhibitor of free enzyme but the kinetics of the complex (MB) is not affected. In presence of 1.0 mM ATP in an assay mixture the kinetic constants of the complex were unchanged except for Vmax, which increased by nearly 60%. Aged preparations of free enzyme (MA) were activated by 100% and more, but the native enzyme was inhibited by 22%. Inorganic phosphate is a potent activator of both forms of pyruvate kinase. In presence of 50 mM K-phosphate the apparent Michaelis constant and interaction coefficient are unchanged, but Vmax for free enzyme increases by 35% and for the complex by 70%, respectively. The specific activity of aged MA form can be restored to the original value after incubation of the enzyme in 50 mM K-phosphate, pH 7.6, or by addition of ATP (1.0 mM) to the assay mixture.

Enzyme Activation↗
PubMed1982

Consumer health educators in health care institutions in West Virginia.

A two-phase survey was conducted of administrators of health care institutions (hospitals, rural primary care clinics, and community mental health centers) and, in turn, people conducting consumer health education (patient and community) in these settings. The purposes of the surveys were to identify the people who were conducting health education activities, their training, the tasks they were performing, and how they practiced health education. A broad variety of professionals was identified who perform consumer health education in these health care institutions. Only two professionally trained health educators were identified out of 232 respondents. The type of health education practice varied by type of institution, with hospitals being patient education oriented, mental health centers being community education oriented, and rural clinics requiring both patient and community education activities from their health educators. Most respondents reported the distribution of printed materials and individual counseling as their most frequently employed health education techniques. A need was documented for training in health education techniques. A broad variety of approaches to meeting this need are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Purification, crystallization and properties of triosephosphate isomerase from human skeletal muscle.

1. Triosephosphate isomerase (D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate ketoisomerase, EC 5.3.1.1) from human skeletal muscle was purified to homogeneity and crystallized. The crystalline enzyme preparation was resolved on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis into three isoenzymes. 2. The molecular weight of the enzyme estimated by gel filtration method was found to be 57,400 +/- 3000. Molecular weight determination under dissociation conditions indicated a dimeric subunit structure of the enzyme. 3. The apparent Km for D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate as substrate is 0.34 mM, and for dihydroxyacetone phosphate, 0.61 mM. Vmax of the reaction is, respectively, 7200 and 660 units/mg protein at 25 degrees C and pH 7.5. 4. Molecular and kinetic properties of triosephosphate isomerase from human skeletal muscle are very similar to those of rabbit muscle enzyme.

Carbohydrate Epimerases↗
PubMed1976

Amino acid sequence of human muscle glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Isolation and amino acid sequences of tryptic peptides.

1. The amino acid compostion, N- and C-terminal amino acid sequences, and the subunit molecular weight of glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase from human muscle, were determined. The obtained results and the maps of tryptic peptides suggest that the enzyme is composed of four identical or very similar polypeptide chains. 2. From the tryptic digest of performic acid-oxidized enzyme, 32 peptides were isolated. The amino acid sequence analysis showed a high degree of homology with the corresponding tryptic peptides of the dehydrogenase from pig muscle, with 9 replacements and probably two additional amino acids in the examined sequences of the human muscle enzyme.

Amino Acid Sequence↗