Sharon V. Thompson

Bean and rice meals reduce postprandial glycemic response in adults with type 2 diabetes: a cross-over study

BackgroundAround the world, beans and rice are commonly consumed together as a meal. With type 2 diabetes increasing, the effect of this traditional diet pattern on glycemic response has not been studied fully.MethodsWe evaluated the glycemic response of bean and rice traditional meals compared to rice alone in adults with type 2 diabetes. Seventeen men and women with type 2 diabetes controlled by metformin (n = 14) or diet/exercise (n = 3) aged 35–70 years participated in the randomized 4 × 4 crossover trial. The white long grain rice control, pinto beans/rice, black beans/rice, red kidney beans/rice test meals, matched for 50 grams of available carbohydrate, were consumed at breakfast after a 12 hour fast. Capillary blood glucose concentrations at baseline and at 30 minute intervals up to 180 minutes postprandial were collected. MANOVA for repeated measures established glucose differences between treatments. Paired t tests identified differences between bean types and the rice control following a significant MANOVA.ResultsPostprandial net glucose values were significantly lower for the three bean/rice treatments in contrast to the rice control at 90, 120 and 150 minutes. Incremental area under the curve values were significantly lower for the pinto and black bean/rice meals compared to rice alone, but not for kidney beans.ConclusionsPinto, dark red kidney and black beans with rice attenuate the glycemic response compared to rice alone. Promotion of traditional foods may provide non-pharmaceutical management of type 2 diabetes and improve dietary adherence with cultural groups.Trial registrationClinical Trials number NCT01241253

Phaseolus beans: impact on glycaemic response and chronic disease risk in human subjects

Consumption of Phaseolus vulgaris bean species such as pinto, black, navy or kidney may be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. In particular, conditions that are promoted by increased glycaemic stress (hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia) including diabetes, CVD and cancer seem to be reduced in individuals who eat more of these beans. The present paper discusses the influence of P. vulgaris species on glycaemic response and the impact that relationship may have on the risk of developing diabetes, CVD and cancer.

Sleep, Dietary, and Exercise Behavioral Clusters Among Truck Drivers With Obesity: Implications for Interventions.

Objective: The objectives of the study were to describe a sample of truck drivers, identify clusters of drivers with similar patterns in behaviors affecting energy balance (sleep, diet, and exercise), and test for cluster differences in health, safety, and psychosocial factors. Methods: Participants’ (n = 452, body mass index M = 37.2, 86.4% male) self-reported behaviors were dichotomized prior to hierarchical cluster analysis, which identified groups with similar behavior covariation. Cluster differences were tested with generalized estimating equations. Results: Five behavioral clusters were identified that differed significantly in age, smoking status, diabetes prevalence, lost work days, stress, and social support, but not in body mass index. Cluster 2, characterized by the best sleep quality, had significantly lower lost workdays and stress than other clusters. Conclusions: Weight management interventions for drivers should explicitly address sleep, and may be maximally effective after establishing socially supportive work environments that reduce stress exposures.

Low-Income US Women Under-informed of the Specific Health Benefits of Consuming Beans.

Background Bean consumption can reduce chronic disease risk and improve nutrition status. Consumer knowledge of bean health benefits could lead to increased intakes. Low-income women have poorer health and nutrition, but their level of knowledge about bean health benefits is unknown. Beans are a familiar food of reasonable cost in most settings and are cultural staples for Hispanics and other ethnicities. Study objectives were to assess awareness of bean health benefits among low-income women, and to evaluate any differences by acculturation status for Hispanic women in the Southwestern United States. Methods A convenience sample of 406 primarily Mexican-origin (70%) low-income women completed a survey on knowledge of bean health benefits and general food behaviors. Principal components analysis of responses identified two summary scale constructs representing “bean health benefits” and “food behaviors.” Acculturation level was the main independent variable in chi-square or ANOVA. Results The survey completion rate was 86% (406/471). Most women agreed or strongly agreed that beans improved nutrition (65%) and were satiating (62%). Over 50% answered ‘neutral’ to statements that beans could lower LDL cholesterol (52%), control blood glucose (56%) or reduce cancer risk (56%), indicating indifference or possible lack of knowledge about bean health benefits. There were significant differences by acculturation for beliefs that beans aid weight loss and intestinal health. Scores on the bean health benefits scale, but not the food behavior scale, also differed by acculturation. Conclusions Limited resource women have a favorable view of the nutrition value of beans, but the majority did not agree or disagreed with statements about bean health benefits. Greater efforts to educate low-income women about bean health benefits may increase consumption and improve nutrition.

Weight Control Intervention for Truck Drivers: The SHIFT Randomized Controlled Trial, United States

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of the Safety and Health Involvement For Truckers (SHIFT) intervention with a randomized controlled design. METHODS The multicomponent intervention was a weight-loss competition supported with body weight and behavioral self-monitoring, computer-based training, and motivational interviewing. We evaluated intervention effectiveness with a cluster-randomized design involving 22 terminals from 5 companies in the United States in 2012 to 2014. Companies were required to provide interstate transportation services and operate at least 2 larger terminals. We randomly assigned terminals to intervention or usual practice control conditions. We assessed participating drivers (n = 452) at baseline and 6 months. RESULTS In an intent-to-treat analysis, the postintervention difference between groups in mean body mass index change was 1.00 kilograms per meters squared (P < .001; intervention = -0.73; control = +0.27). Behavioral changes included statistically significant improvements in fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity. CONCLUSIONS Results establish the effectiveness of a multicomponent and remotely administered intervention for producing significant weight loss among commercial truck drivers.

The Workplace Interpersonal Conflict Scale: An Alternative in Conflict Assessment

163 COPYRIGHT 2017 BY PSI CHI, THE INTERNATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY IN PSYCHOLOGY (VOL. 22, NO. 3/ISSN 2325-7342) *Faculty mentor Interpersonal conflicts at work contribute to numerous detrimental health and safety outcomes that impact the well-being of employees and organizations, and are often upsetting, troublesome, and frequent work stressors (Bolger, DeLongis, Kessler, & Schilling, 1989; Williams, 2003; Wright, Mohr, Sinclair, & Yang, 2015). Interpersonal conflicts are pervasive, with employees reporting occurrences on, at minimum, 50% of work days (Hahn, 2000). Estimates suggest that more than 26% of the general worker population is negatively impacted by conflict (de Raeve, Jansen, van den Brandt, Vasse, & Kant, 2009). Furthermore, workplace interpersonal conflicts are frequently precursors to severe social problems such as workplace aggression and violence (Barling, Dupre, & Kelloway, 2009; Pearson, Andersson, & Wegner, 2001), as well as costly employee outcomes including turnover (Frone, 2000), burnout (Fujiwara, Tsukishima, Tsutsumi, Kawakami, & Kishi, 2003; Harvey, Blouin, & Stout, 2006), and depression and withdrawal (Inoue & Kawakami, 2010; Spector & Jex, 1998). Previous research has identified interpersonal conflict to be one of the largest reducible organizational costs and the single most important workplace stressor ABSTRACT. Interpersonal conflict is a prevalent workplace problem associated with numerous adverse consequences for both employees (e.g., depression, negative affect) and organizations (e.g., turnover, reduced productivity). However, many currently available self-report measures suffer from multiple methodological challenges that substantially hinder accurate and comprehensive measurement including the lack of specific elements of conflict identified by the literature subsequent to measure development, and a lack of rigorous empirical examination of psychometric properties. Thus, there is a need for a valid, psychometrically sound scale that can briefly capture perceptions of workplace interpersonal conflict in a contemporary work environment. The Workplace Interpersonal Conflict Scale (WICS) was developed to examine the frequency of conflict characteristics identified from a prior qualitative study of interpersonal conflict themes. In the current examination, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the psychometric properties of the WICS across 3 occupational samples including a cross-sectional study in health care (home care workers), a pre/post study in service (food service workers), and a large, diverse online sample (via MTurk). Results supported the 6-item WICS as a valid measure of workplace interpersonal conflict related to many other important workplace variables in the domains of work, health, and safety. Practical implications are presented and discussed. The WICS offers a promising measure that can be used in assessment, remediation, and prevention of noxious interpersonal cultures within the workplace. The Workplace Interpersonal Conflict Scale: An Alternative in Conflict Assessment

Glycemic Response to Black Beans and Chickpeas as Part of a Rice Meal: A Randomized Cross-Over Trial

Legumes, such as black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.), have a low glycemic index, and may reduce the glycemic load of meals in which they are included. Although the low glycemic response of beans consumed alone has been documented, few studies have examined the glycemic response to traditional food combinations such as black beans and rice or chickpeas and rice. This randomized cross-over study examined the glycemic and insulinemic impact of 50 grams of available carbohydrate from three test meals: plain white rice (control), black beans with rice, and chickpeas with rice among healthy adult women (n = 12, 18–65 years). Treatments were consumed on different mornings, a minimum of 7 days apart. Blood samples were collected at time 0 (fasting), and at 30, 60, 90, and 120 min postprandial, and were subsequently analyzed for glucose and insulin concentrations. Glucose response based on the incremental area under the curve showed a significant difference by treatment (p = 0.027). Changes in blood glucose concentrations were significantly different for the black bean meal and the chickpea meal in comparison to rice alone at 60 min (p = 0.026 and p = 0.024), 90 min (p = 0.001 and p = 0.012) and 120 min post prandial (p = 0.024; black bean meal). Findings indicate that combinations of black beans and chickpeas with white rice improve glycemic response, providing evidence that has promising implications for dietary guidance to reduce postprandial glucose and related health risks through traditional food patterns.

Arizona Registered Dietitians Show Gaps in Knowledge of Bean Health Benefits

Registered Dietitians (RDs) promote nutrition practices and policies and can influence food consumption patterns to include nutrient dense foods such as beans. Although many evidence-based health benefits of bean consumption (e.g., cholesterol reduction, glycemic control) have been demonstrated, there is limited research on the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of RDs regarding the inclusion of beans in a healthy diet. To fill this existing research gap, this cross-sectional survey explored the perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of 296 RDs in Arizona, USA, toward beans. The RDs largely held positive attitudes toward the healthfulness of beans and were aware of many health benefits. Some gaps in awareness were evident, including effect on cancer risk, intestinal health benefits, folate content, and application with celiac disease patients. RDs with greater personal bean consumption had significantly higher bean health benefit knowledge. Twenty-nine percent of the RDs did not know the meaning of ‘legume’, and over two-thirds could not define the term ‘pulse’. It is essential that RDs have up-to-date, evidence-based information regarding bean benefits to provide appropriate education to patients, clients, and the public.

Protecting workers in the home care industry: workers’ experienced job demands, resource gaps, and benefits following a socially supportive intervention

ABSTRACT The Community of Practice and Safety Support (COMPASS) program is a peer-led group intervention for home care workers. In a randomized controlled trial, COMPASS significantly improved workers’ professional support networks and safety and health behaviors. However, quantitative findings failed to capture workers’ complex emotional, physical, and social experiences with job demands, resource limitations, and the intervention itself. Therefore, we conducted qualitative follow-up interviews with a sample of participants (n = 28) in the program. Results provided examples of unique physical and psychological demands, revealed stressful resource limitations (e.g., safety equipment access), and elucidated COMPASS’s role as a valuable resource.