Objectives: Obesity in children with Down syndrome (DS) has negative implications for behavior. The aim was to assess the influence of weight reduction by diet modification with and without physical therapy sessions on adaptive behavior and some biochemical measures in children with DS with obesity. Methods: The study included 100 children with DS…

Background: The Department of Defense (DOD) annually spends billions in medical care for military beneficiaries. Overweight and obesity are top concerns for dependents. Only 44% of military spouses (86% female, ages 25 to 34) meet Healthy People 2020 weight/BMI goals. Physical activity (PA) is an important modifiable behavior for preventing and…

Previous studies have suggested the impact of intervention fidelity on the management and prevention of chronic diseases; however, little is known about the effect of the contributing determinants (at multiple levels of influence) that can impact health-related interventions intending to improve the health status of Hispanic adolescents with…

The objective of this study was to provide initial validity evidence for responses to the newly developed Well-Being Actions Self-Efficacy (WBASE) scale from adults with obesity under an exploratory latent variable approach. Longitudinal data (N[subscript baseline] = 667 and N[subscript 30 days post-baseline] = 550) from the Well-Being and…

Objective: Over one-third of college students are overweight or obese and rates are rising. Whole body vibration (WBV) training could prevent weight gain but has not been tested in college students. Methods: Randomized controlled trial comparing thrice weekly WBV for 6 months to controls (CON) in undergraduate students. Feasibility included…

Background: There is little understanding of men's weight loss outcomes and behaviors in self-directed contexts, such as digital commercial mobile weight management programs. This is an especially pressing question given that men often express disinterest in weight management programs and it is unknown how that manifests in self-directed…

Through a community-focused needs assessment conducted in rural Appalachia, we gauged perceptions of facilitators and barriers related to healthful eating and physical activity for young children and identified suggestions for improvement. Thirty-seven key informant interviews and three caregiver focus group sessions were coded and analyzed for…

Preventive lifestyle interventions are needed to address challenges in engaging men in conventional health programmes. This process evaluation examined the feasibility and acceptability of HAT TRICK, a gender-sensitized programme targeting physical activity, healthy eating and social connectedness. A mixed-methods approach was utilized to examine…

Obesity and overweight in early childhood have detrimental impacts on children's health and development. Changing policy, system and environmental features focused on physical activity and healthy eating behaviors as part of health promotion interventions can play a key role in prevention strategies in early childhood education settings. These…

Aim and objectives: In the USA, undergraduate students gain more weight in the first year in college than at any other point in their lives. However, the factors that predict their weight gain are unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the predictors of weight gain among first-year college students at a US college over a 3-month period.…

Purpose: To determine whether improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), blood pressure (BP) and body composition previously seen after a 16-week exercise intervention (POST) with hypocaloric diet are maintained following six months (6M) of unsupervised exercise time. Methods: Overweight/obese, physically inactive participants with primary…

Overweight and obesity are national epidemics affecting 42.4% of adults in the U.S.; with the southeastern region exhibiting higher obesity rates than most other regions in the U.S. (National Center for Health Statistics, 2020; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). Alabama ranks 3rd…

Background: In Spartanburg County, SC, nearly 33.7% of children are overweight or obese. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in eating behavior of youth by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Methods: Students (N = 997) in 4th to 5th grades completed the School Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. School databases…

Background: Prevalence and consequences of obesity and sedentary lifestyle are well-documented public health concerns for youth in the United States of America (USA) that disproportionally affect children from low income and minority families. Objective: This mixed-method study focused on estimating levels of physical activity and sedentary…

With the increase of childhood obesity and sedentary behavior, it is essential to discover innovative ways to motivate youth to be more active. Many Hispanic children in the United States in obesogenic environments particularly lack opportunities for physical activity (PA). Exergames (i.e., motion-based video games) may enhance PA among at-risk…