Dean E. Jacks

Reducing Risk Factors for Childhood Obesity The Tommie Smith Youth Athletic Initiative

This study has sought to determine if the Tommie Smith Youth Athletic Initiative (TSYAI) intervention could decrease the risk factors for childhood obesity among children 5 to 10 years of age. The TSYAI intervention is a 14-week after-school intervention for students in Grades K-5 that was started during the spring of 2008. It serves 63 children in a predominantly African American elementary school. The intervention consists of supervised after-school sessions 3 days per week. These sessions include 2 days of physical activity (flexibility, resistance, and track-and-field training) and 1 day of 45 min of nutrition education modules based on the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change followed by 45 min of group physical activity. Ninety-two percent of the participants are African American and 60% are overweight or obese (>85th percentile BMI for age and gender). The findings indicate that the TSYAI intervention significantly improves the participant’s cardiovascular fitness, body composition, and dietary habits.

Topical Menthol, Ice, Peripheral Blood Flow, and Perceived Discomfort

CONTEXT Injury management commonly includes decreasing arterial blood flow to the affected site in an attempt to reduce microvascular blood flow and edema and limit the induction of inflammation. Applied separately, ice and menthol gel decrease arterial blood flow, but the combined effects of ice and menthol gel on arterial blood flow are unknown. OBJECTIVES To compare radial artery blood flow, arterial diameter, and perceived discomfort before and after the application of 1 of 4 treatment conditions. DESIGN Experimental crossover design. SETTING Clinical laboratory. PARTICIPANTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Ten healthy men, 9 healthy women (mean age = 25.68 years, mean height = 1.73 m, mean weight = 76.73 kg). INTERVENTION(S) Four treatment conditions were randomly applied for 20 minutes to the right forearm of participants on 4 different days separated by at least 24 hours: (1) 3.5 mL menthol gel, (2) 0.5 kg of crushed ice, (3) 3.5 mL of menthol gel and 0.5 kg of crushed ice, or (4) no treatment (control). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Using high-resolution ultrasound, we measured right radial artery diameter (cm) and blood flow (mL/min) every 5 minutes for 20 minutes after the treatment was applied. Discomfort with the treatment was documented using a 1-to-10 intensity scale. RESULTS Radial artery blood flow decreased (P < .05) from baseline in the ice (-20% to -24%), menthol (-17% to -24%), and ice and menthol (-36% to -39%) treatments but not in the control (3% to 9%) at 5, 10, and 15 minutes. At 20 minutes after baseline, only the ice (-27%) and combined ice and menthol (-38%) treatments exhibited reductions in blood flow (P < .05). Discomfort was less with menthol than with the ice treatment at 5, 10, and 20 minutes after application (P < .05). Arterial diameter and heart rate did not change. CONCLUSIONS The application of 3.5 mL of menthol was similar to the application of 0.5 kg of crushed ice in reducing peripheral blood flood. Combining crushed ice with menthol appeared to have an additive effect on reducing blood flow.

Fit Into College: A Program to Improve Physical Activity and Dietary Intake Lifestyles Among College Students

The purpose of this study was to determine whether a 10-week program could improve physical activity, physical fitness, body weight, dietary intake, and perceptions of exercise and diet among college 30 healthy college freshmen. Outcomes were measured at baseline, and following the 10-week program. The weekly sessions incorporated constructs of the Transtheoretical Model of Health Behavior Change and were administered by fitness interns who were junior or senior college students enrolled in health-related majors. The participants presented with low physical activity, physical fitness, and poor dietary intake, and 50% were overweight/obese (BMI > 25). Participants demonstrated gains in their physical fitness and their perceived benefits to engaging in exercise and decreased their perceived barriers to engaging in exercise and a healthy diet. College freshmen presented with low levels of physical activity, poor dietary intake, and excess body weight. A peer-administered program can improve these measures and favorably change perceptions of exercise and diet.

A transtheoretical, case management approach to the treatment of pediatric obesity.

Objective: The percentage of obese children in the United States has increased dramatically over the past three decades, particularly among ethnic/ racial minorities. This study sought to examine the impact of a clinical case-management intervention based upon the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to reduce obesity and increase physical activity in children. Methods: Nineteen obese African-American children ages 8-12 were recruited from two pediatric clinics and were randomized to either a 12-week intervention group or a control group. Dependent variables included body mass index (BMI) percentile, physical activity, and stage of change for the child and parent. Results: In comparison to the control group, the intervention group demonstrated significant decreases in BMI and improvements in daily vigorous physical activity. The children in the intervention group demonstrated movement toward action/maintenance stages of change. Conclusions: A 12-week TTM-based case management intervention can have a favorable impact on obesity and physical activity in African-American child.