J.F.J. van Leeuwe

The dieting dilemma in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: Does dietary restraint predict weight gain 4 years after diagnosis?

OBJECTIVE To examine whether dieting--restriction of food intake for the purpose of weight control--suppresses or promotes excessive food intake and weight gain. DESIGN A 4-year follow-up study of a dietary intervention in a sample of 97 patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Weight gain, change in body mass index (measured weight in kilograms divided by measured height squared), and intake of energy, as measured with a food frequency questionnaire, were assessed in relation to dietary restraint and tendency to overeat (emotionally or externally induced overeating), as assessed with the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. RESULTS Tendency to overeat at diagnosis and not dietary restraint was associated with weight gain and intake of energy 4 years after diagnosis. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that the success of a dietary intervention can be predicted by a subjects tendency toward overeating. The possibility of matched treatment of obesity is discussed on the basis of the distinction between patients with a low versus a high tendency to overeat.

Phonological Awareness and Naming Speed in the Prediction of Dutch Children's Word Recognition.

Influences of phonological awareness and naming speed on the speed and accuracy of Dutch childrens word recognition were investigated in a longitudinal study. The speed and accuracy of word recognition at the ends of Grades 1 and 2 were predicted by naming speed from both the beginning and end of Grade 1, after control for autoregressive relations, kindergarten letter knowledge, and vocabulary knowledge. Phonological awareness at the beginning of Grade 1 predicted only the accuracy of word recognition at the end of Grade 1. No evidence was found for reciprocal influences of word recognition skills on later phonological awareness or naming speed.

The dual pathway model of overeating. Replication and extension with actual food consumption

van Strien et al. [van Strien, T., Engels, R. C. M. E., van Leeuwe, J., Snoek, H. M. (2005). The Stice model of overeating: tests in clinical and non-clinical samples. Appetite, 45, 205-213] extended the negative affect pathway of Stices dual pathway model of overeating Stice [Stice, E. (1994). Review of the evidence for a sociocultural model of bulimia nervosa and an exploration of the mechanisms of action. Clinical Psychology Review, 14(7), 633-661] successfully with the variables lack of interoceptive awareness and emotional eating. This study aimed to replicate these findings in a sample of female college students with food consumption as the measure for overeating. Structural equation modeling was used to test the original and the extended model and both models fitted. In the extended model, the relation between negative affect and consumption seemed to run only via lack of interoceptive awareness and emotional eating.

Watching your weight? The relations between watching soaps and music television and body dissatisfaction and restrained eating in young girls

Although previous research showed that the thin ideal provided by the media affects body image and eating behaviour in young children, less is known about specific media contents that are related to body image and eating behaviour. This study tested the associations between watching soaps and music television and body dissatisfaction and restrained eating directly, and indirectly through thin ideal internalisation. We conducted a survey in class, in which 245 girls (aged 7–9) completed scales on their television watching behaviour, thin ideal internalisation, body dissatisfaction and restrained eating. Additionally, height and weight were measured. Watching soaps and music television often was associated with higher thin ideal internalisation, which in turn was associated with higher body dissatisfaction and restrained eating. Furthermore, a direct association between watching soaps and music television and restrained eating was found. If watching other types of childrens programmes or maternal encouragement to be thin were included in the models, watching soaps and music television remained an important factor, especially with regard to restrained eating. Therefore, our results suggest that if young girls watch soaps and music television often, this is related to higher restrained eating and body dissatisfaction, directly or indirectly, through higher thin ideal internalisation.

Assessing Phonemic Awareness in Kindergarten: The Case for the Phoneme Recognition Task.

The validity of phoneme recognition as an indicator of phonemic awareness at kindergarten age is investigated. Six paper and pencil phonemic awareness (PA) tests, phoneme recognition among them, are administered groupwise to Dutch children a few months before the beginning of formal literacy education. Additional phonological tests and an early reading test are administered individually. Ten months later, children are tested again with PA and literacy tests. Structural equation modeling shows the relations among tests to correspond broadly with findings reported in the literature. The PA test scores are determined by one common factor, and the early PA factor influences later literacy through its influence on later PA skill. Phoneme segmentation has the highest loading on the PA factor, but phoneme recognition is its best paper and pencil representative. Unlike phoneme segmentation, phoneme recognition competence can develop in the absence of literacy skills. Phoneme recognition equals phoneme segmentation in sensitivity and specificity when predicting later literacy failure.

Adolescents' movement towards cessation of smoking: Role and relative value of the processes of change and nicotine dependence

The present study addresses the applicability of the Transtheoretical Models processes of change in explaining adolescents’ readiness to quit smoking. Furthermore, the association between nicotine dependence and readiness to quit was assessed both directly, as well as indirectly through the processes of change. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, identifying 1547 weekly smokers aged 14–18 years. Structural equation modelling showed that the processes of change were only marginally associated with readiness to quit. Adding nicotine dependence to the model showed a direct association between nicotine dependence and readiness to quit. Only one process of change, self-liberation (i.e. choice/commitment to change and belief in the ability to change), was found to mediate this association. Nicotine dependence appeared to be highly important in adolescents’ readiness to quit.

Effectiveness of guided co-construction versus direct instruction

In a field experiment with 178 first-grade pupils, the effects of an experimental beginning reading programme were investigated. Both an experimental and a control group worked with the most frequently used Dutch beginning reading programme, Learning to Read Safely. The instructional approach implemented in the experimental group was guided co-construction (GCC); the instructional approach implemented in the control group was direct instruction (DI). The results of an overall analysis of the development of word recognition (WR) over time (i.e., throughout the 1st grade) showed the pupils in the experimental group to outperform those in the control group. However, the better performance by the experimental group attenuated over time with better performance by the control group on the last measurement occasion. Majority pupils benefitted more from GCC but minority pupils more from DI. Minority pupils in the control group showed greatest progress.

Prediction of word recognition in the first half of grade 1

Early detection of reading problems is important to prevent an enduring lag in reading skills. We studied the relationship between speed of word recognition (after six months of grade 1 education) and four kindergarten pre-literacy skills: letter knowledge, phonological awareness and naming speed for both digits and letters. Our sample consisted of 178 pupils divided over seven classes. In agreement with the literature, we found that all four kindergarten tests were related to speed of word recognition in grade 1. We also performed a multiple regression analysis with a set of background variables and the four kindergarten tests. The model explained 53% of the variance in speed of word recognition. However, only letter knowledge and naming speed for digits had a significant direct effect. Our conclusion is, nevertheless, that all four kindergarten tests should be used to identify children at risk for reading problems.