D. Erickson

Factors that Influence Breastfeeding Decisions among Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Participants from Central Louisiana

Although human milk provides optimal nutrition for infants, fewer than one third of US infants are breastfed exclusively for 6 months or more. The objectives of this study were to determine the factors that have the greatest impact on the decisions to breastfeed, and to determine the effect of formula provided by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) on the initiation and duration of breastfeeding among WIC participants in a rural parish in central Louisiana. A cross-sectional study was done between September 2007 and March 2008 among 130 WIC participants. Approximately half (51%) of the participants reported breastfeeding their youngest child for a mean of 15.7+/-14.9 weeks, with more white mothers breastfeeding than did African-American mothers or other races (P<0.01). Significantly more people reported that incentives provided to encourage breastfeeding did not affect their decision to breastfeed than those who said incentives affected their decision to breastfeed (P<0.029). Finally, study participants who were breastfed as a child were significantly more likely to breastfeed their children than those who were not breastfed as a child (P<0.022). The majority (96%) of the participants in this study indicated that WIC is providing effective and clear education about the benefits of breastfeeding, and that this advice influenced their decision to breastfeed their children. These findings underscore the importance of emphasizing the health benefits of breastfeeding to increase initiation and duration rates among WIC participants.

Multiple Point-of-Testing Nutrition Counseling Sessions Reduce Risk Factors for Chronic Disease Among Older Adults

The objectives of this study were to explore the relationships of baseline dietary intakes and frequency of attendance at point-of-testing nutrition counseling sessions to selected risk factors for chronic diseases during a 3-year intervention. This study was part of a large multidisciplinary, community-based health outreach project conducted in a rural community of northern Louisiana. Screenings, point-of-testing counseling, weekly group exercise sessions, and group nutrition education sessions were provided over a period of 3 years. Outcome variables assessed at 6-month intervals over 3 years were body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and total and LDL cholesterol and dietary intake. Repeated measure analysis of variance was used to investigate the impact of the frequency of counseling sessions on outcome variables. Paired t-tests were used to identify points at which significant changes occurred. A total of 159 subjects ages 65 years and older participated in this study. The majority of the participants were female (62%) and White (82%). Attending the point of testing counseling for more than two sessions was important for a significant improvement in BMI (p ≤ 0.001), LDL cholesterol (p ≤ 0.03), blood glucose (p ≤ 0.03), and diastolic blood pressure (p ≤ 0.045). Participants who attended at least three sessions had significant reductions in risk factors for obesity and related chronic diseases, underscoring the importance of follow-up sessions after health screening.

Factors that Affect Sugar Sweetened Beverage Intake in Rural, Southern College Students in the US

The objective of the present study was to investigate factors that affect sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) intake in rural, southern college students in the US. The majority of the participants were male (58 %) and Caucasian (63 %). The average total SSB consumption was 79.4 fl oz/day (2.35 L/d). Results of binary logistic regression analyses of total SSB intake greater than 57.4 fl oz/day (1.8 L/d) versus less than 57.4 fl oz/day showed that factors associated with greater odds for high SSB intake were age greater than 20 years old (odds ratio [OR] = 3.551, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.385 - 9.104, p = 0.008) and being African American (OR = 3.477, 95 % CI = 1.291 - 9.363, p = 0.013). Results of binary logistic regression analyses of total bottled water intake greater than 39.4 fl oz/day (median) versus less than 39.4 fl oz/day showed that consuming alcohol was significantly related to an increased probability of drinking more than 39.4 fl oz (1.17 L/d) of bottled water per day (median; OR = 2.914, 95 % CI = 1.223 - 6.943, p = 0.016). Culturally sensitive strategies are needed to raise awareness for making healthy beverage choices when dining on campus to effectively reduce college students SSB consumption.