UV protection performance of textiles affected by fiber cross-sectional shape

Abstract
In this study, a model was set up for simulating the effects of varying fiber cross-sectional shapes on ultraviolet protection of fibers. The fiber diameter and fiber type were also involved in the model setting. Experiments of diffuse reflectance spectra measurement on natural (wool, cotton, silk), regenerated (bamboo viscose) and synthetic (polyester, nylon) fibers were conducted to verify the model predicted results. When a more complex shape was assumed as the fiber cross-section for model calculation, the predicted results have a better agreement with the actual results. The effects on ultraviolet absorption from fibers with different cross-sectional shapes were investigated at a single fiber, fiber bundle and yarn levels. With the same material, when the fiber cross-sectional area and the areal coverage of a single fiber were constant, the triangular shape had the lowest ultraviolet transmittance and the highest ultraviolet reflectance for a single fiber and also for a fiber bundle. The difference of fiber cross-sectional shapes was also significant in the ultraviolet protection of a single yarn.

Cross-sectional averages versus principal components

In spite of the increased use of factor-augmented regressions in recent years, little is known regarding the relative merits of the two main approaches to estimation and inference, namely, the cross-sectional average and principal component estimators. By providing a formal comparison of the approaches, the current paper fills this gap in the literature.

Relationship between severity of obesity and mental health: an Australian community survey

Introduction
In Australia the incidence of obesity is increasing rapidly and has become a significant public health concern. In addition to the many physical consequences of obesity many studies have reported significant mental health consequences, including major depression, mood and anxiety disorders. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between severity of obesity and perceived mental health in an Australian community sample.

Methods
A cross-sectional survey design was used. A total of 118 participants, aged between 19 and 75 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2 returned a completed questionnaire. The SF-36 Health Survey, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support were used.

Results
After adjusting for age, gender, perceived social support and physical health quality of life, obesity was not significantly associated with mental health quality of life (SF-36). The strongest factor influencing mental health was perceived physical health. Mediation analyses suggest that physical health mediates the relationship between obesity and mental health quality of life.

Discussion
Our findings support the view that physical health mediates the relationship between obesity and mental health. Public health interventions should focus on reducing the impact of obesity on physical health by encouraging participation in healthy lifestyles, which in turn, may improve mental wellbeing.

Australian children's independent mobility levels: secondary analyses of cross-sectional data between 1991 and 2012

This study investigated changes in Australian children's independent mobility levels between1991 and 2012. Data from five cross-sectional studies conducted in 1991, 1993, 2010, 2011 and 2012 were analysed. Parent and child surveys were used to assess parental licences for independent mobility and actual independent mobility behaviour in children aged 8–13 years. Findings show declines in the proportion of young children (≤10 years of age) being allowed to travel home from school alone (1991: 68%, 1993: 50%, 2010: 43%, 2011: 45%, 2012: 31%) and travel on buses alone (1991: 31%, 1993: 15%, 2010: 8%, 2011: 6%, 2012: 9%). Furthermore, the proportion of children travelling independently to school decreased (1991: 61%, 1993: 42%, 2010: 31%, 2011: 32%, 2012: 32%). Significantly fewer girls than boys travelled independently to school at each time point (p ≤ .001). Overall, the findings suggest that Australian children's independent mobility levels declined between 1991 and 2012.

Maternal depressive and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem, body dissatisfaction and preschooler obesity: a cross-sectional study

The primary aim of the present study was to cross-sectionally examine the associations between maternal psychosocial variables, child feeding practices, and preschooler body mass index z-score (BMI-z) in children (aged 2–4 years). A secondary aim was to examine differences in child weight outcomes between mothers scoring above and below specified cut-offs on the psychosocial measures. Two hundred and ninety mother–child dyads were recruited from Melbourne, Australia, and completed questionnaires examining demographic information, mothers’ depressive and anxiety symptoms, self-esteem and body dissatisfaction, restrictive and pressure child feeding practices, and preschoolers’ BMI-z scores. Independent t-tests and hierarchical multiple regression were employed to analyse the data. In the final regression model, none of the maternal psychosocial measures or feeding practices predicted child BMI-z scores; maternal body mass index and employment status were the only predictors of preschooler BMI-z. However, independent t-tests revealed that children of mothers with elevated body dissatisfaction scores had significantly higher BMI-z scores than children of mothers without elevated scores. The results suggest that psychosocial variables are not related, cross-sectionally, to preschooler weight outcomes; however, further research is needed to replicate the group differences noted between mothers with and without body dissatisfaction, and to track these relationships longitudinally.

Estimating the proportion of metabolic health outcomes attributable to obesity: a cross-sectional exploration of body mass index and waist circumference combinations

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that a substantial subgroup of the population who have a high-risk waist circumference (WC) do not have an obese body mass index (BMI). This study aimed to explore whether including those with a non-obese BMI but high risk WC as 'obese' improves prediction of adiposity-related metabolic outcomes.

METHODS: Eleven thousand, two hundred forty-seven participants were recruited. Height, weight and WC were measured. Ten thousand, six hundred fifty-nine participants with complete data were included. Adiposity categories were defined as: BMI(N)/WC(N), BMI(N)/WC(O), BMI(O)/WC(N), and BMI(O)/WC(O) (N = non-obese and O = obese). Population attributable fraction, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and odds ratios (OR) were calculated.

RESULTS: Participants were on average 48 years old and 50 % were men. The proportions of BMI(N)/WC(N), BMI(N)/WC(O), BMI(O)/WC(N) and BMI(O)/WC(O) were 68, 12, 2 and 18 %, respectively. A lower proportion of diabetes was attributable to obesity defined using BMI alone compared to BMI and WC combined (32 % vs 47 %). AUC for diabetes was also lower when obesity was defined using BMI alone (0.62 vs 0.66). Similar results were observed for all outcomes. The odds for hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes and CVD were increased for those with BMI(N)/WC(O) (OR range 1.8-2.7) and BMI(O)/WC(O) (OR 1.9-4.9) compared to those with BMI(N)/WC(N).

CONCLUSIONS: Current population monitoring, assessing obesity by BMI only, misses a proportion of the population who are at increased health risk through excess adiposity. Improved identification of those at increased health risk needs to be considered for better prioritisation of policy and resources.

24-h urinary sodium excretion is associated with obesity in a cross-sectional sample of Australian schoolchildren

Emerging evidence indicates that dietary Na may be linked to obesity; however it is unclear whether this relationship is independent of energy intake (EI). The aim of this study was to assess the association between Na intake and measures of adiposity, including BMI z score, weight category and waist:height ratio (WHtR), in a sample of Australian schoolchildren. This was a cross-sectional study of schoolchildren aged 4-12 years. Na intake was assessed via one 24-h urine collection. BMI was converted to age- and sex-specific z scores, and WHtR was used to define abdominal obesity. In children aged ≥8 years, EI was determined via one 24-h dietary recall. Of the 666 children with valid urine samples 55 % were male (average age 9·3 (sd 1·8) years). In adjusted models an additional 17 mmol/d of Na was associated with a 0·10 higher BMI z score (95 % CI 0·07, 0·13), a 23 % (OR 1·23; 95 % CI 1·16, 1·31) greater risk of being overweight/obese and a 15 % (OR 1·15; 95 % CI 1·09, 1·23) greater risk of being centrally obese. In the subsample of 8-12-year-old children (n 458), adjustment for EI did not markedly alter the associations between Na and adiposity outcomes. Using a robust measure of daily Na intake we found a positive association between Na intake and obesity risk in Australian schoolchildren, which could not be explained by total energy consumption. To determine whether this is a causal relationship, longitudinal studies, with high-quality measures of Na and EI, are required.

Morbidity patterns among the underweight, overweight and obese between 2 and 18 years: population-based cross-sectional analyses

CONTEXT: No study has documented how symptomatic morbidity varies across the body mass index (BMI) spectrum (underweight, normal weight, overweight and obese) or across the entire child and adolescent age range. OBJECTIVE: To (1) quantify physical and psychosocial morbidities experienced by 2-18-year-olds according to BMI status and (2) explore morbidity patterns by age. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Cross-sectional data from two Australian population studies (the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children and the Health of Young Victorians Study) were collected during 2000-2006. Participants were grouped into five age bands: 2-3 (n=4606), 4-5 (n=4983), 6-7 (n=4464), 8-12 (n=1541) and 13-18 (n=928) years. MAIN MEASURES: Outcomes-Parent- and self-reported global health; physical, psychosocial and mental health; special health-care needs; wheeze; asthma and sleep problems. Exposure-measured BMI (kg m(-2)) categorised using standard international cutpoints. ANALYSES: The variation in comorbidities across BMI categories within and between age bands was examined using linear and logistic regression models. RESULTS: Comorbidities varied with BMI category for all except sleep problems, generally showing the highest levels for the obese category. However, patterns differed markedly between age groups. In particular, poorer global health and special health-care needs were associated with underweight in young children, but obesity in older children. Prevalence of poorer physical health varied little by BMI in 2-5-year-olds, but from 6 to 7 years was increasingly associated with obesity. Normal-weight children tended to experience the best psychosocial and mental health, with little evidence that the U-shaped associations of these variables with BMI status varied by age. Wheeze and asthma increased slightly with BMI at all ages. CONCLUSIONS: Deviation from normal weight is associated with health differences in children and adolescents that vary by morbidity and age. As well as lowering risks for later disease, promoting normal body weight appears central to improving the health and well-being of the young.

Comparing subjective measures of behavioral sleep problems in children with ADHD: a cross-sectional study

Aim: Behavioral sleep problems are ideally measured using a combination of objective and subjective measures. However, this is not always feasible. Thus, a global subjective measure has been used to assess sleep problems in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet it is unclear how this relates to more detailed multidimensional measures of sleep problems. In children with ADHD, parent report of a global measure of sleep problem severity (classified no/mild versus moderate/severe) is compared with the following: (1) a 7-Day Sleep Log and (2) the validated Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ). Method: This study recruited 392 children with ADHD (aged 5-13 years) from 50 pediatric practices across Victoria, Australia. All caregivers completed the CSHQ, and 257 children prospectively completed the 7-Day Sleep Logs. Results: Sleep log data identified distinct sleep patterns according to parent-reported sleep problem severity; children with moderate/severe sleep problems slept 30 min less per day, took longer to fall asleep, and experienced more night awakenings. This pattern was also repeated across the CSHQ, where children with moderate/severe sleep problems experienced more problematic sleep symptoms across all domains (effect sizes: 0.5-1.1; all p < 0.001). Conclusion: A subjective, global measure of sleep problem severity appears to be a useful tool for the initial assessment of sleep problems in children with ADHD when more extensive measures are not feasible, as it is reflective of well-established multidimensional measures. However, further research is required to determine its validity.

Current and future friends of the earth: assessing cross-national theories of environmental attitudes

Empirical studies of public opinion on environmental protection have typically been grounded in Inglehart’s post-materialism thesis, proposing that societal affluence encourages materially-sated publics to look beyond their interests and value the environment. These studies are generally conducted within, or at best across, Western, democratic, industrialized countries. Absence of truly cross-cultural research means the theory’s limitations have gone undetected. This article draws on an exceptionally broad dataset—pooling cross-sectional survey data from 80 countries, each sampled at up to three different points over 15 years—to investigate environmental attitudes. We find that post-materialism provides little account of pro-environment attitudes across diverse cultures, and a far from adequate explanation even in the affluent West. We suggest that unique domestic interests, more than broad value systems, are driving emerging global trends in environmental attitudes. The environment’s future champions may be the far from ‘post-material’ citizens of those developing nations most at risk of real material harm from climate change and environmental degradation.

It's not just the television: survey analysis of sedentary behaviour in New Zealand young people

BACKGROUND: Sedentary behaviour has been linked with adverse health outcomes in young people; however, the nature and context of being sedentary is poorly understood. Accurate quantification and description of sedentary behaviour using population-level data is required. The aim of this research was to describe sedentary behaviour among New Zealand (NZ) youth and examine whether sedentary behaviour differs by Body Mass Index (BMI) status in this population.

METHODS: A national representative cross-sectional survey of young people aged 5-24 years (n = 2,503) was conducted in 2008-2009. Data from this survey, which included subjectively (recall diary; n = 1,309) and objectively (accelerometry; n = 960) measured sedentary behaviour for participants aged 10-18 years were analysed using survey weighted methods.

RESULTS: Participants self-reported spending on average 521 minutes per day (standard error [SE] 5.29) in total sedentary behaviour, 181 minutes per day (SE 3.91) in screen-based sedentary activities (e.g., television and video games), and 340 minutes per day (SE 5.22) in other non-screen sedentary behaviours (e.g., school, passive transport and self-care). Accelerometer-measured total sedentary behaviour was on average 420 minutes per day (SE 4.26), or 53% (SE 0.42%) of monitored time. There were no statistically significant differences in time spent in sedentary behaviour among overweight, obese and healthy/underweight young people.

CONCLUSIONS: Both subjective and objective methods indicate that NZ youth spend much of their waking time being sedentary. No relationships were found between sedentary behaviour and BMI status. These findings extend previous research by describing engagement in specific sedentary activities, as well as quantifying the behaviour using an objective method. Differences in what aspects of sedentary behaviour the two methods are capturing are discussed. This research highlights the potential for future interventions to target specific sedentary behaviours or demographic groups.

The impact of a new McDonald's restaurant on eating behaviours and perceptions of local residents: a natural experiment using repeated cross-sectional data

Neighbourhood food environments are posited as an important determinant of eating behaviours; however causality is difficult to establish based on existing studies. Using a natural experiment study design (incorporating repeated cross-sectional data), we tested whether the development of a new McDonald's restaurant increased the frequency of consumption of McDonald's products amongst local residents in the suburbs of Tecoma (site of a new McDonald's restaurant development) and Monbulk (control site) in Victoria, Australia. Across both sites, the reported frequency of McDonald's consumption did not change during the follow-up surveys. In the context explored, the development of a new McDonald's restaurant has not resulted in an increased consumption of McDonald's products.

A cross-sectional study examining the extent of unwanted sexual attention and unhealthy intimate relationships among female university students

Issue addressed: Unwanted sexual attention and unhealthy intimate relationships have the potential to have serious negative health consequences. To date, there has been scant focus on these issues among university students in Australia. The aim of the current study was to describe the extent of unwanted sexual attention and unhealthy intimate relationships experienced in their lifetime by female university students aged 18–25 years.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was undertaken involving 465 female students aged 18–25 years. Students were recruited through one faculty within a Victorian university and invited to complete an anonymous online questionnaire.
Results: Sixty-seven per cent (n = 312) of female students reported experiencing unwanted sexual attention in their lifetime. The most common form of unwanted sexual attention was kissing or touching over clothes (98%; n = 306). Over 43% (n = 124) of the female students reported that the experience of unwanted sexual experience occurred after their protests were ignored. Thirty per cent (n = 135) of the female students reported experiencing at least one element of an unhealthy intimate relationship.
Conclusions: The high rates of unwanted sexual attention and unhealthy intimate relationships among female university students is of concern given the negative impact such events can have on individual’s physical, emotional and social well being.
So what?: Public health and health promotion action is required to prevent female students from experiencing unwanted sexual attention and unhealthy intimate relationships, and to address the negative health and well being consequences.

The cross-sectional association between diet quality and depressive symptomology amongst Fijian adolescents

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between diet quality and depressive symptomology amongst a community-based sample of Fijian adolescents.

METHODS: Participants included 7,237 adolescents (52.6% girls; mean age 15.6 years) at baseline (2005) and 2,948 (56% girls; mean age 17.4 years) at follow-up (2007/2008), from the Pacific Obesity Prevention in Communities Project. Intervention schools (n = 7) were selected from Nasinu, near Suva on the main Fijian island Viti Levu, and comparison schools (n = 11) were chosen from towns on the opposite, west side of the island. A dietary questionnaire was used to measure diet quality. Factor analysis clustered dietary variables into two unique and independent factors, referred to as healthy diet quality and unhealthy diet quality. Depressive symptomology was assessed via the emotional subscale of the Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Both measures were self-reported and self-administered. Multiple linear regression was used to test cross-sectional associations (at baseline and follow-up) between diet quality and depressive symptomology. Variables controlled for included gender, age, ethnicity, study condition, BMI-z scores, and physical activity.

FINDINGS: Strong, positive dose-response associations between healthy diet and high emotional scores (lower depressive symptomology) were found in cross-sectional analyses at baseline and follow-up, among boys and girls. No association was found between emotional health and unhealthy diet.

CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that cross-sectional relationships exist between a high quality diet during adolescence and less depressive symptoms, however more evidence is required to determine if these two variables are linked causally. Trial population health strategies that use dietary interventions as a mechanism for mental health promotion provide an opportunity to further test these associations. If this is indeed a true relationship, these forms of interventions have the potential to be inexpensive and have substantial reach, especially in Low and Middle Income Countries. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12608000345381.

Family centred care before and during life-sustaining treatment withdrawal in intensive care: a survey of information provided to families by Australasian critical care nurses

BACKGROUND: A core component of family-centred nursing care during the provision of end-of-life care in intensive care settings is information sharing with families. Yet little is known about information provided in these circumstances.

OBJECTIVE: To identify information most frequently given by critical care nurses to families in preparation for and during withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment.

DESIGN: An online cross-sectional survey.

METHODS: During May 2015, critical care nurses in Australia and New Zealand were invited to complete the Preparing Families for Treatment Withdrawal questionnaire. Data analysis included descriptive statistics to identify areas of information most and least frequently shared with families. Cross tabulations with demographic data were used to explore any associations in the data.

RESULTS: From the responses of 159 critical care nurses, information related to the emotional care and support of the family was most frequently provided to families in preparation for and during withdrawal of life-sustaining treatment. Variation was noted in the frequency of provision of information across body systems and their associated physical changes during the dying process. Significant associations (p<0.05) were identified between the variables gender, nursing experience and critical care experiences and some of the information items most and least frequently provided.

CONCLUSIONS: The provision of information during end-of-life care reflects a family-centred care approach by critical care nurses with information pertaining to emotional care and support of the family paramount. The findings of this study provide a useful framework for the development of interventions to improve practice and support nurses in communicating with families at this time.