Theun Pieter van Tienoven

More than preparing a meal? Concerning the meanings of home cooking.

Cooking is one of the basic activities in our lives. However, people frequently feel they fall short of time to cook when facing problems with the temporal organization of daily life. How people think about home cooking is considered to be important for the time they spend on preparing meals. It is assumed that the meaning of cooking differs for different people, depending on the temporal and social context. This contribution allows us to clarify how the meaning of cooking varies according to individual and household characteristics and the cooking occasion. By using the pooled time-diary data from the Flemish time-use surveys from 1999 and 2004 we can examine peoples views on cooking in order to understand how people use time for food preparation. Although the results suggest that people consider cooking primarily as a household chore, preparing food can also be a way to please others, as well as themselves. It seems that feelings of time pressure and the family situation are clearly related to mens and womens cooking experiences. Furthermore, the meaning of cooking also tends to be clearly influenced by the meal situation and (the moment of) the day.

Criteria for HNF1B analysis in patients with congenital abnormalities of kidney and urinary tract

BACKGROUND Congenital anomalies of kidneys and urinary tract (CAKUT) are the most predominant developmental disorders comprising ∼20-30% of all anomalies identified in the prenatal period. Mutations in hepatocyte nuclear factor 1-beta (HNF-1β) involved in the development of kidneys, liver, pancreas and urogenital tract are currently the most frequent monogenetic cause of CAKUT found in 10-30% of patients depending on screening policy and study design. We aimed to validate criteria for analysis of HNF1B in a prospective cohort of paediatric and adult CAKUT patients. METHODS We included CAKUT patients diagnosed in our paediatric and adult nephrology departments from January 2010 until April 2013 based on predefined screening criteria. Subjects presenting with at least one major renal criterion or one minor renal criterion combined with one or more extra-renal criteria in the personal history or a familial history of renal or extra-renal manifestations were considered eligible. RESULTS We prospectively screened 205 patients and detected HNF1B mutations in 10% [n = 20, 12 children, median age 4.2 (range 0-13.1) years and 8 adults, median age 34.8 (range 16.6-62) years]. We observed that bilateral renal anomaly, renal cysts from unknown origin, a combination of two major renal anomalies and hypomagnesaemia were predictive for finding HNF1B mutations (P < 0.001; P < 0.001; P = 0.004; P = 0.008, respectively). CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that HNF1B mutations are responsible for ∼10% of CAKUT cases, both in children and in adults. Based on our results we propose adapted criteria for HNF1B analysis to reduce the screening costs without missing affected patients. These criteria should be reaffirmed in a larger validation cohort.

Calculating the Social Rhythm Metric (SRM) and Examining Its Use in Interpersonal Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) in a Healthy Population Study

In psychiatry, the social zeitgeber theory argues that social life provides important social cues that entrain circadian rhythms. Disturbance of these social cues might lead do dis-entrainment of circadian rhythms and evoke somatic symptoms that increase the risk of mood disorders. In preventing and treating patients with bipolar disorders, the Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT) relies on the Social Rhythm Metric (SRM) to (re)establish patients’ social cues and an re-entrain circadian rhythms. Since the SRM quantifies social rhythms that are derived from a patient’s interaction with a social environment, this contribution (a) calculates the SRM of the social environment of a representative healthy population study (n = 1249), (b) evaluates the robustness of the SRM as a quantifier of social rhythms by matching the scores of the pilot study, revealing the near absence of variance across population characteristics and investigation months—circadian rhythms need to be entrained for every month and for everyone—and (c) examines its use in IPSRT by relating high SRM-scores to lower psychological distress (p = 0.004) and low SRM-scores to higher social and emotional dysfunction (p = 0.018).

Catch-up growth in the first two years of life in Extremely Low Birth Weight (ELBW) infants is associated with lower body fat in young adolescence

Aim To investigate growth patterns and anthropometrics in former extremely low birth weight (ELBW, <1000 g) children and link these outcomes to neurocognition and body composition in childhood. Methods ELBW children were examined at birth (n = 140), at 9 and 24 months (n≥96) and at approximately 11 years within the framework of the PREMATCH (PREMATurity as predictor children’s of Cardiovascular and renal Health) case–control (n = 93–87) study. Regional growth charts were used to convert anthropometrics into Z–scores. Catch–up growth in the first two years of life was qualified as present if ΔZ–score >0.67 SDS. At 11 years, anthropometrics, neurocognitive performance, body composition, grip strength and puberty scores were assessed. Results ELBW neonates displayed extra–uterine growth restriction with mean Z–scores for height, weight and head circumference of –0.77, –0.93 and –0.46 at birth, –1.61, –1.67 and –0.72 at 9 months, –1.22, –1.61 and –0.84 at 24 months, and –0.42, –0.49 and –1.09 at 11 years. ELBW children performed consistently worse on neurocognitive testing with an average intelligence quotient equivalent at 11 years of 92.5 (SD 13.1). Catch–up growth was not associated with neurocognitive performance. Compared to controls, ELBW cases had lower grip strength (13.6 vs. 15.9 kg) and percentage lean body weight (75.1 vs. 80.5%), but higher body fat (24.6 vs. 19.2%) and advanced puberty scores at 11 years (all P≤0.025). Catch–up growth for weight and height in the first two years of life in cases was associated with a lower percentage body fat compared to cases without catch–up growth (16.8% catch-up growth for weight vs. 25.7%, P<0.001; 20.9% catch-up for height vs. 25.8%, P = 0.049). Conclusions In young adolescence, former ELBW children still have difficulties to reach their target height. Compared to normal birth weight controls, ELBW adolescents show lower neurocognitive performance and grip strength and a higher percentage body fat, a potential risk factor for adverse health outcomes in adulthood. Our key finding is that catch–up growth in ELBW children in the first two years of life is associated with a lower percentage body fat and is therefore likely to be beneficial.

Does Extremely Low Birth Weight Predispose to Low-Renin Hypertension?

Low birth weight and prematurity are risk factors for hypertension in adulthood. Few studies in preterm or full-term born children reported on plasma renin activity (PRA). We tested the hypothesis that renin might modulate the incidence of hypertension associated with prematurity. We enrolled 93 prematurely born children with birth weight <1000 g and 87 healthy controls born at term, who were all examined at ≈11 years. Renal length and glomerular filtration rate derived from serum cystatin C were 0.28 cm (95% confidence interval, 0.09–0.47) and 11.5 mL/min per 1.73 m2 (6.4–16.6) lower in cases, whereas their systolic/diastolic blood pressure (BP) was 7.5 mm Hg (4.8–10.3)/4.0 mm Hg (2.1–5.8) higher (P<0.001 for all). The odds of having systolic prehypertension or systolic hypertension associated with extreme low birth weight were 6.43 (2.52–16.4; P<0.001) and 10.9 (2.46–48.4; P=0.002). Twenty-four hours of urinary sodium excretion was similar in cases and controls (102.1 versus 106.8 mmol; P=0.47). Sodium load per nephron was estimated as sodium excretion divided by kidney length (mmol/cm). PRA was 0.54 ng/mL per hour (0.23–0.85; P=0.001) lower in cases. PRA, systolic BP, and sodium load were available in 43 cases and 56 controls. PRA decreased with systolic BP (slope −0.022 ng/mL per hour/−mm Hg; P=0.048), but was unrelated to sodium load (slope +0.13 mmol/cm−mm Hg; P=0.54). The slope of PRA on systolic BP was similar (P=0.17) in cases and controls. In conclusion, extremely low birth weight predisposes young adolescents to low-renin hypertension, but does not affect the inverse association between PRA and BP. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02147457.

Who works when? Towards a typology of weekly work patterns in Belgium

The question when people work is almost always reduced to the question how much people work on (non-)standard working hours. In this contribution, we applied optimal matching techniques using Belgian data from a weekly work grid (n = 6330) to identify individuals’ work timing patterns, offering a richer analytical approach than most previous studies on (non-)standard work time. Results show that such analysis captures much more and much more relevant variation in the timing of work than simple questions. Three general and 10 more detailed weekly work patterns are identified based on two dimensions of paid work: the number of hours worked and the percentage of hours worked on non-standard periods of time. Additional analyses show that men’s work patterns depend only on job characteristics. For women, work patterns are also explained by socio-economic factors including education, presence of working partner and presence of children.

If fathers care, how do they share? The temporal and spatial allocation of fathers’ time to parenting activities

Contemporary fatherhood comprises active parenting: emotional involvement and more time spent on parenting activities. The latter is often explained by fathers’ response to a higher demand for childcare as the result of mothers’ employment schedules. Whereas time-use surveys are widely used to analyze fathers’ parenting time, only a few studies fully exploit the contextual information present in time-diaries. This study does so to analyze the temporal and spatial allocation of fathers’ time spent on parenting activities. Belgian time-use data of intact families with at least one child under the age of 7 (n = 950) reveal that fathers’ rise in solo physical childcare comes at a cost: when mothers are present, fathers spend less time in both physical and interactive childcare. At the same time, ‘new fathers’ – fathers who share household work more equally with their partners – spend more time in childcare no matter what, whether solo or in the presence of children’s mothers.

Neonatal creatinemia trends as biomarker of subsequent cognitive outcome in extremely low birth weight neonates

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Serum creatinine is traditionally used as a marker of renal function in neonates and relates to gestational age and disease severity in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants. Creatinine is commonly used as a biomarker for early morbidity, but we aim to compare postnatal creatinemia trends as a biomarker for subsequent cognitive outcome. We hypothesize that impaired microcirculation not only in the kidney, but also in general (i.e. brain development) can explain this possible link. STUDY DESIGN AND OUTCOME MEASURES A cohort of ELBW infants was analyzed by Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II) at the corrected age of 2years old. Besides other perinatal indicators, neonatal creatinemia trends of survivors (n=140) and BSID scores (n=96) are compared and analyzed using optimal matching analysis. Hierarchical clustering analysis is applied to identify createnimia trends. RESULTS Four different creatinemia trends were identified (persistently high, normal, low, high but normalizing). A low creatinemia trend is significantly associated with the lowest percentages of postnatal corticosteroids, NSAIDS and intraventricular hemorrhage (p=0.005, p=0.013 and p=0.041 respectively) compared to a normal or persistently high creatinemia trend and associated with the best cognitive outcome (+13 points compared to the mean creatinemia trend and +23 points compared to a persistently high creatinemia trend). CONCLUSIONS Creatinemia trends after birth are not only useful to predict renal function, but are also associated with cognitive outcome in extremely low birth weight infants. Neonates who have low creatinemia trends after birth, have the highest BSID scores at the age of two years old.

Exploring the stable practices of everyday life: A multi-day time-diary approach

Everyday life is neither the result of mundane, common-sense, habitual human behaviour as theorized by the agency-centred approach of methodological individualism nor the sheer result of the conformation to temporal norms of the structural approach of social holism. In fact, everyday life is marked by a rhythmic, temporal structure that is brought into effect by the modality of repetitive action. In this article, a praxeological approach is used to conceptualize everyday life as a social structure in terms of its underlying stable practices. Multi-day time-diary data and optimal matching with clustering techniques show empirically that everyday life consists of stable practices that vary in function of temporal and social demands, in function of handling coordination of practice, and in function of embedding these practices in collectively shared temporal orders.

Active work, passive leisure? Associations between occupational and non-occupational physical activity on weekdays

Research from recent years reports that physical inactivity is a major risk factor for global mortality. Several societal trends in the last decades are likely to have contributed to the increasing prevalence of sedentary lifestyles. Physical activity throughout the day has become much less self-evident and much more a matter of personal effort. Its presumed discretionary character made leisure the time par excellence to compensate for daily inactivity in non-discretionary time. The historical dichotomy of leisure and paid work led to a large body of research assessing the association between occupational and non-occupational physical activity, almost always equated with leisure time physical activity. This study investigates the relationship between occupational and non-occupational physical activity and adds to existing knowledge by breaking down non-occupational physical activity to physical activity in different non-occupational domains of life. Using Belgian time-use data from 2013 coupled with metabolic equivalent of task scores, reveals no direct association between occupational physical activity and physical activity in the domains of leisure, household work and family care, and transport on weekdays after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. The association between womens occupational physical activity and physical activity in household work and family care is the sole exception. The results suggest that a holistic, naturalistic approach to physical activity taking into account that individuals have to synchronize needs other than paid work (e.g. reproductive and social productive needs) with the institutional and cultural temporal structures of the society they live in, is more appropriate.