Chamber evaluation of a personal organic vapor dosimeter at ppb concentrations of VOCs, varying temperatures and humidities with 24 -hour exposures

An exposure system was constructed to evaluate the performance of a personal organic vapor dosimeter (3520 OVM) at ppb concentrations of nine selected target volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These concentration levels are generally encountered in community air environments, both indoor and outdoor. It was demonstrated that the chamber system could provide closely-controlled conditions of VOC concentrations, temperature and relative humidity (RH) required for the experiments. The target experimental conditions included combinations of three VOC concentrations (10, 20 and 200 $\rm\mu g/m\sp3),$ three temperatures (10, 25 and 40$\sp\circ$C) and three RHs (12, 50 and 90% RH), leading to a total of 27 exposure conditions. No backgrounds of target VOCs were found in the exposure chamber system. In the exposure chamber, the variation of the temperature was controlled within $\pm$1$\sp\circ$C, and the variation of RH was controlled within $\pm$1.5% at 12% RH, $\pm$2% at 50% RH and $\pm$3% at 90% RH. High-emission permeation tubes were utilized to generate the target VOCs. Various patterns of the permeation rates were observed over time. The lifetimes and permeation rates of the tubes differed by compound, length of the tube and manufacturer. By carefully selecting the source and length of the tubes, and closely monitoring tube weight loss over time, the permeation tubes can be used for delivering low and stable concentrations of VOCs during multiple days.^ The results of this study indicate that the performance of the 3520 OVM is compound-specific and depends on concentration, temperature and humidity. With the exception of 1,3-butadiene under most conditions, and styrene and methylene chloride at very high relative humidities, recoveries were generally within $\pm$25% of theory, indicating that the 3520 OVM can be effectively used over the range of concentrations and environmental conditions tested with a 24-hour sampling period. Increasing humidities resulted in increasing negative bias from full recovery. Reverse diffusion conducted at 200 $\rm\mu g/m\sp3$ and five temperature/humidity combinations indicated severe diffusion losses only for 1,3-butadiene, methylene chloride and styrene under increased humidity. Overall, the results of this study do not support the need to employ diffusion samplers with backup sections for the exposure conditions tested. ^

Dietary Intakes of Children From Food Insecure Households

The objective of this cross-sectional study is to compare the dietary behaviors of children from low food secure (LFS) households with children from very low food secure (VLFS) households over an entire day, and during meals specifically consumed at home —breakfast, snack, and dinner. Parents of the recruited children completed a demographic questionnaire, along with USDA's 6-item short form food security questionnaire. Children completed 24-hour dietary recalls in person. Complete data from 102 children 9 to 12 years old were used. Using ANOVA to assess the differences among groups in intakes over an entire day and during meals consumed at home, no significant differences were found, except for vitamin C intake during breakfast. Based on the definitions of LFS and VLFS, it was hypothesized that children from VLFS group would have lower dietary intakes compared to children from the LFS group. However, this study found little difference. Speculations have been made for these findings and implications for research have been presented.

Neural analogs of associative learning in {\it Aplysia\/}: Experimental and theoretical approaches

A change in synaptic strength arising from the activation of two neuronal pathways at approximately the same time is a form of associative plasticity and may underlie classical conditioning. Previously, a cellular analog of a classical conditioning protocol has been demonstrated to produce short-term associative plasticity at the connections between sensory and motor neurons in Aplysia. A similar training protocol produced long-term (24 hour) enhancement of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). EPSPs produced by sensory neurons in which activity was paired with a reinforcing stimulus were significantly larger than unpaired controls 24 hours after training. To examined whether the associative plasticity observed at these synapses may be involved in higher-order forms of classical conditioning, a neural analog of contingency was developed. In addition, computer simulations were used to analyze whether the associative plasticity observed in Aplysia could, in theory, account for second-order conditioning and blocking. ^

Survey of shift and work tolerance of City of Houston emergency medical service personnel

This study of ambulance workers for the emergency medical services of the City of Houston studied the factors related to shiftwork tolerance and intolerance. The EMS personnel work a 24-hour shift with rotating days of the week. Workers are assigned to A, B, C, D shift, each of which rotate 24-hours on, 24-hours off, 24-hours on and 4 days off. One-hundred and seventy-six male EMTs, paramedics and chauffeurs from stations of varying levels of activity were surveyed. The sample group ranged in age from 20 to 45. The average tenure on the job was 8.2 years. Over 68% of the workers held a second job, the majority of which worked over 20 hours a week at the second position.^ The survey instrument was a 20-page questionnaire modeled after the Folkard Standardized Shiftwork Index. In addition to demographic data, the survey tool provided measurements of general job satisfaction, sleep quality, general health complaints, morningness/eveningness, cognitive and somatic anxiety, depression, and circadian types. The survey questionnaire included an EMS-specific scaler of stress.^ A conceptual model of Shiftwork Tolerance was presented to identify the key factors examined in the study. An extensive list of 265 variables was reduced to 36 key variables that related to: (1) shift schedule and demographic/lifestyle factors, (2) individual differences related to traits and characteristics, and (3) tolerance/intolerance effects. Using the general job satisfaction scaler as the key measurement of shift tolerance/intolerance, it was shown that a significant relationship existed between this dependent variable and stress, number of years working a 24-hour shift, sleep quality, languidness/vigorousness. The usual amount of sleep received during the shift, general health complaints and flexibility/rigidity (R$\sp2$ =.5073).^ The sample consisted of a majority of morningness-types or extreme-morningness types, few evening-types and no extreme-evening types, duplicating the findings of Motohashi's previous study of ambulance workers. The level of activity by station was not significant on any of the dependent variables examined. However, the shift worked had a relationship with sleep quality, despite the fact that all shifts work the same hours and participate in the same rotation schedule. ^

An investigation of the pica practices of pregnant women in Houston and Prairie View, Texas

Pregnant African American women are at higher risk of having a preterm delivery and/or a low birthweight infant. Many factors are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes but a food habit that deserves further study in the causal process is pica, a craving for, and ingestion of, nonnutritive substances such as laundry starch, clay, dirt, or ice. This food habit is more common in the African American population but has not been adequately studied in relation to preterm and/or low birth weight infants.^ Mothers (n = 281) with infants less than one year of age who participated in the Special Supplementary Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) at clinics in Houston and Prairie View, Texas were interviewed regarding pica practices during pregnancy, dietary practices, and some demographic indices. Hospital records were abstracted for health information on the mothers and infants, including birthweight and gestational age at birth of the infant.^ The subjects were 88.6% African American, 6.8% Hispanic, and 4.6% Caucasian. Overall prevalence of pica was 76.5%. Pica prevalence by substance(s) was as follows: ice 53.7%; ice and freezer frost 14.6%; other substances such as baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, laundry starch, and clay or dirt 8.2%; and 23.5% reported no pica. The women who reported ice/freezer frost pica had a higher percentage of illegal drug use and alcohol use during pregnancy. The women who reported other pica substances had the lowest mean educational level, highest gravidity, and a higher percentage smoked during pregnancy.^ There were no significant differences in nutrient intakes measured by the mean 24-hour dietary recalls between women who reported ice pica (n = 103) and women who denied pica (n = 50). The women who reported ice/freezer frost pica or other pica substances had more food cravings and food dislikes during pregnancy than those who reported ice pica or no pica.^ There were no differences in mean birthweight or mean gestational age at birth of infants born to mothers from the three pica groups and the no pica group but regression analyses revealed a possible relationship between pica, low maternal hemoglobin at delivery, and preterm birth. ^

A genetically engineered, adherent smooth muscle cell lining for left ventricular assist devices

Due to the clinical success of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) used for short term "bridge to transplant" and the limited availability of donor organs, heart assist devices are being considered for long term implantation as an alternative to heart transplantation. In an effort to improve biocompatibility, a nonthrombogenic cellular lining was developed from genetically engineered smooth muscle cells (GE-SMC) for the Thermocardiosystems Heartmate$\sp{\rm TM}$ LVAD. SMCs have been transduced with the genes for endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS III) and GTP cyclohydrolase (GTPCH) with subsequent stable expression of the NOS III protein via an Epstein Barr based DNA expression vector. Transduced SMCs produce nitric oxide at concentrations that reduce platelet deposition and smooth muscle cell proliferation when tested in vitro. In addition, the adhesive capabilities of GE-SMC linings were also examined, and optimized in physical environments mimicking typical in vivo LVAD operation. Preliminary investigations examining cell adhesion during constant shear stress exposure demonstrated an acute phase of cell loss corresponding to cytoskeletal F-actin rearrangement. Subsequently, an in vitro circulatory loop was designed to expose cell lined LVADs to in vivo operating conditions. Cumulative cell loss from cell lined LVADs was less than 10% after 24 hours of flow. Using a protocol for "preconditioning" the cell lining within the mock circulatory loop, the first implantation of an LVAD containing a genetically engineered SMC lining was successfully implemented in a bovine model. Results from this 24 hour study indicate that the flow-conditioned cellular lining remained intact with no evidence of thromboembolization and only minimal changes in coagulation studies. ^

Resting and reactive blood pressure as predictors of ambulatory blood pressure in older hypertensive adults

Background. A review of the literature suggests that Hypertension (HTN) in older adults is associated with sympathetic stimulation that results in increasing blood pressure (BP) reactivity. If clinical assessment of BP captured sympathetic stimulation, it would be valuable for hypertension management. ^ Objectives. The study examined whether reactive change scores from a short BPR protocol, resting blood pressure (BP), or resting pulse pressure (PP) is a better predictor of 24 hour ambulatory BP and BP load in cardiac patients. ^ Method. The study used a single-group design, with both an experimental clinical component and an observational field component. Both components used repeated measurement methods. The study population consisted of 45 adult patients with a mean age of 64.6 ± 8.5 years who were diagnosed with cardiac disease and who were taking anti-hypertensive medication. Blood pressure reactivity was operationalized with a speech protocol. During the speech protocol, BP was measured with an automatic device (Dinamap 825XT) while subjects talked about their health and about their usual day. Twenty-four hour ambulatory BP measurement (Spacelabs 90207 monitor) followed the speech protocol. ^ Results. Resting SBP and resting PP were significant predictors of 24-hour SBP, and resting SBP was a significant predictor of SBP load. No predictors were significant of 24-hour DBP or DBP load. ^ Conclusions. Initial resting BP and PP may be used in clinical settings to assess hypertension management. Future studies are necessary to confirm the ability of resting BP to predict ABP and BP load in older, medicated hypertensives. ^

Temporal analysis of PI-3kinase and MAPK signal transduction during skeletal muscle overload

Skeletal muscles can adapt to increased mechanical forces (or loading) by increasing the size and strength of the muscle. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms by which muscle responds to increased loading may lead to the discovery of novel treatment strategies for muscle wasting and frailty. The objective of this research was to examine the temporal associations between the activation of specific signaling pathway intermediates and their potential upstream regulator(s) in response to increased muscle loading. Previous work has demonstrated that focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activity is increased in overloaded hypertrophying skeletal muscle. Thus FAK is a candidate for transducing the loading stimulus in skeletal muscle, potentially by activating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. However, it was unknown if muscle overload would result in activation of PI3K or the MAPKs. Thus, this work seeks to characterized the temporal response of (1) MAPK phosphorylation (including Erk 2, p38 MAPK and JNK), (2) PI3K activity, and (3) FAK tyrosine phosphorylation in response to 24 hours of compensatory overload in the rat soleus and plantaris muscles. In both muscles, overload resulted in transient Increases in the phosphorylation state of Erk2 and JNK, which peaked within the first hour of overload and returned to baseline thereafter. In contrast, p38 MAPK phosphorylation remained elevated throughout the entire 24-hour overload period. Moreover, overload increased PI3K activity only, in the plantaris and only at 12 hours. Moreover, 24 hours of overload induced a significant increase in total protein content in the plantaris but not the soleus. Thus an increase in total muscle protein content within the 24-hour loading period was observed only in muscle exhibiting increased PI3K activity. Surprisingly, FAK tyrosine phosphorylation was not increased during the overload period in either muscle, indicating that PI3K activation and increased MAPK phosphorylation were independent of increased FAK tyrosine phosphorylation. In summary, increased PI3K activity and sustained elevation of p38 MAPK phosphorylation were associated with muscle overload, identifying these pathways as potential mediators of the early hypertrophic response to skeletal muscle overload. This suggests that stimuli or mechanisms that activate these pathways may reduce/minimize muscle wasting and frailty. ^

Temporal variations of dyspnea, fatigue, and lung function in chronic lung disease

Background. Research investigating symptom management in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) largely has been undertaken assuming the homeostatic construct, without regard to potential roles of circadian rhythms. Temporal relations among dyspnea, fatigue, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and objective measures of activity/rest have not been reported in COPD. ^ Objectives. The specific aims of this study were to (1) explore the 24-hour patterns of dyspnea, fatigue, and PEFR in subjects with COPD; (2) examine the relations among dyspnea, fatigue, and PEFR in COPD; and (3) examine the relations among objective measures of activity/rest and dyspnea, fatigue, and PEFR in COPD. ^ Methods. The repeated-measures design involved 10 subjects with COPD who self-assessed dyspnea and fatigue by 100 mm visual analog scales, and PEFR by peak flow meter in their home 5 times a day for 8 days. Activity/rest was measured by wrist actigraphy. Single and population mean cosinor analyses and correlations were computed for dyspnea, fatigue, and PEFR; correlations were done among these variables and activity/rest. ^ Results. Circadian rhythms were documented by single cosinor analysis in 40% of the subjects for dyspnea, 60% for fatigue, and 60% for PEFR. The population cosinor analysis of PEFR yielded a significant rhythm (p < .05). The 8-day 24-hour means of dyspnea and fatigue was moderately correlated (r = .48, p < .01). Dyspnea and PEFR, and fatigue and PEFR, were weakly correlated in a negative way (r = −.11, p < .05 and r = −.15, p < .01 respectively). Weak to moderate correlations (r = .12–.34, p < .05) were demonstrated between PEFR and mean activity level measured up to 4 hours before PEFR measurement. ^ Conclusions. The findings suggest that (1) the dyspnea and fatigue experienced by COPD patients are moderately related, (2) there is a weak to modest positive relation between PEFR and activity levels, and (3) temporal variation in lung function may not affect the dyspnea and fatigue experienced by patients with COPD. Further research, examining the relations among dyspnea, fatigue, PEFR, and activity/rest is needed. Replication of this study is suggested with a larger sample size. ^

The role of the experience and expression of anger in future cardiovascular profiles in young adolescents

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is this nation's leading source of morbidity and mortality, with health disparities evident. Despite inconsistencies in the literature, there is a growing body of evidence that links anger and CV reactivity (CVR) to future CVD. Because CVD is a life-long process with beginnings in childhood, and because adolescents experience and express anger frequently, the need to understand the role that anger has in future CV profiles is important. If identifiable patterns are found, nursing interventions can be implemented at the most beneficial point in the lifespan. This study examined data collected as part of The Heartfelt Study (N = 374), which investigated anger in relation to 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and CVR in a multi-ethnic (African, Hispanic, and European American) sample of adolescents (Time 1). This investigator conducted a follow-up for all The Heartfelt Study participants, 11 to 13 years old at the beginning of study, still in attendance at the middle school (N = 44) one year later (Time 2) to determine: (1) changes in anger over time were associated with changes in ambulatory CV profiles: systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), heart rate (HR), and pulse pressure (PP) over time; and (2) the extent to which CVR, initiated by talking about a recent anger-producing event, related to future ambulatory CV profiles. A mixed-effects regression for repeated measures was used to analyze the data and found that SBP reactivity at Time 1 was significantly (β = 0.2341, t = 5.91, p < 0.0001) associated with ambulatory SBP at Time 2 and PP reactivity at Time 1 was significantly (β = 0.1530, t = 5.70, p < 0.0001) associated with ambulatory PP at Time 2. Changes in anger over time were not associated with changes in ambulatory BP measures over time. Further research on anger and CVR among adolescents over longer periods of time is recommended. ^

The evidence behind the level of a random urine protein:creatinine in the diagnosis of preeclampsia: A systematic review

Objective. To determine the accuracy of the urine protein:creatinine ratio (pr:cr) in predicting 300 mg of protein in 24-hour urine collection in pregnant patients with suspected preeclampsia. ^ Methods. A systematic review was performed. Articles were identified through electronic databases and the relevant citations were hand searching of textbooks and review articles. Included studies evaluated patients for suspected preeclampsia with a 24-hour urine sample and a pr:cr. Only English language articles were included. The studies that had patients with chronic illness such as chronic hypertension, diabetes mellitus or renal impairment were excluded from the review. Two researchers extracted accuracy data for pr:cr relative to a gold standard of 300 mg of protein in 24-hour sample as well as population and study characteristics. The data was analyzed and summarized in tabular and graphical form. ^ Results. Sixteen studies were identified and only three studies met our inclusion criteria with 510 total patients. The studies evaluated different cut-points for positivity of pr:cr from 130 mg/g to 700 mg/g. Sensitivities and specificities for pr:cr of 130mg/g -150 mg/g were 90-93% and 33-65%, respectively; for a pr:cr of 300 mg/g were 81-95% and 52-80%, respectively; for a pr:cr of 600-700mg/g were 85-87% and 96-97%, respectively. ^ Conclusion. The value of a random pr:cr to exclude pre-eclampsia is limited because even low levels of pr:cr (130-150 mg/g) may miss up to 10% of patients with significant proteinuria. A pr:cr of more than 600 mg/g may obviate a 24-hour collection.^

Ambulatory blood pressure and physical activity in heart failure

Background. Ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) measurement is a means of monitoring cardiac function in a noninvasive way, but little is known about ABP in heart failure (HF) patients. Blood pressure (BP) declines during sleep as protection from consistent BP load, a phenomenon termed "dipping." The aims of this study were (1) to compare BP dipping and physical activity between two groups of HF patients with different functional statuses and (2) to determine whether the strength of the association between ambulatory BP and PA is different between these two different functional statuses of HF. ^ Methods. This observational study used repeated measures of ABP and PA over a 24-hour period to investigate the profiles of BP and PA in community-based individuals with HF. ABP was measured every 30 minutes by using a SpaceLabs 90207, and a Basic Motionlogger actigraph was used to measure PA minute by minute. Fifty-six participants completed both BP and physical activity for a 24-hour monitoring period. Functional status was based on New York Heart Association (NYHA) ratings. There were 27 patients with no limitation of PA (NYHA class I HF) and 29 with some limitation of PA but no discomfort at rest (NYHA class II or III HF). The sample consisted of 26 men and 30 women, aged 45 to 91 years (66.96 ± 12.35). ^ Results. Patients with NYHA class I HF had significantly greater dipping percent than those with NYHA class II/III HF after controlling their left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). In a mixed model analysis (PROC MIXED, SAS Institute, v 9.1), PA was significantly related to ambulatory systolic and diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure. The strength of the association between PA and ABP readings was not significantly different for the two groups of patients. ^ Conclusions. These preliminary findings demonstrate differences between NYHA class I and class II/III of HF in BP dipping status and ABP but not PA. Longitudinal research is recommended to improve understanding of the influence of disease progression on changes in 24-hour physical activity and BP profiles of this patient population. ^ Key Words. Ambulatory Blood Pressure; Blood Pressure Dipping; Heart Failure; Physical Activity. ^

Validity and reliability of a measure of Latina mother's nutritional self-efficacy

Background. Not only has obesity played a role in Texas adults but it is also becoming a large issue among low-income Latino children. In Latino children between 2-5 years of age, the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance data in 1997 found the prevalence of obesity was 12 percent, highest among all ethnic groups. Children learn what and how to eat from their environment. Despite many mothers being working mothers they are still the principal caregivers and source of influence on their toddler's diet. Self-efficacy, a concept created by Albert Bandura, one's belief that one is capable of performing a behavior needed to reach an intended goal, is increasingly becoming important in nutrition and health education. This study is important to understand the degree of impact that a mother's self-efficacy will have on a child's diet. This is useful knowing if influencing a mother's self-efficacy could improve a child's diet to prevent certain public health issues such as obesity and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to examine nutrition self-efficacy of Latina mothers, focusing on sweets and beverage and if their self-efficacy impacted their child's diet. Methods. The data was collected during July-September 2008. Mothers were recruited from two federally qualified San Antonio health centers. In order to qualify, participants had to be Hispanic with children of toddler age. Mothers were informed of incentives available upon completion. The interview consisted of demographic info, a set of five self-efficacy questions repeated at completion, testing reliability and a 24-hour food recall diary asked of the participant's child's diet. Results. There were 225 mothers who participated between both clinics. The Crohnbach alpha scores for the two different times the self-efficacy questions were asked were .44 corresponding to the first time and .49 for the second time. The three most common beverages reported were milk, juice, and water. The mothers who met or gave their child more milk than recommended by the scientific community, 800mg of calcium/3 cups (24oz) set, had a higher self-efficacy score than those who did not meet the standard at all. Mothers who gave their children more juice than the standard recommends, 4-6oz for children 1-6 years of age, had slightly higher self-efficacy scores than mother's who simply met the standard. In general, the lower the mother's self-efficacy, the more sweets they gave their child and vice versa. Conclusion. This study's Kappa values were adequate and this research showed that Latina mothers did in fact have high self-efficacy. In general some of the children's diets did not reflect the current scientific nutrition recommendations. In order to improve self-efficacy and have an impact on children's diets, the scientific community has a responsibility to make recommendations that are easily understood and can be put into practice. The public health community needs to ensure that we encourage those we serve to be more active in their health and educate them about what constitutes good health and nutrition for both themselves and their children.^

Association of left ventricular hypertrophy and stage of hypertension by ambulatory blood pressure monitor

Hypertension in adults is defined by risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, but in children, hypertension is defined using population norms. The diagnosis of hypertension in children and adolescents requires only casual blood pressure measurements, but the use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to further evaluate patients with elevated blood pressure has been recommended in the Fourth Report on the Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents. The aim of this study is to assess the association between stage of hypertension (using both casual and 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure measurements) and target organ damage defined by left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in a sample of children and adolescents in Houston, TX. A retrospective analysis was performed on the primary de-identified data from the combination of participants in two, IRB approved, cross-sectional studies. The studies collected basic demographic data, height, weight, casual blood pressures, ambulatory blood pressures, and left ventricular measurements by echocardiography on children age 8 to 18 years old. Hypertension was defined and staged using the criteria for ambulatory blood pressure reported by Lurbe et al. [1] with some modification. Left ventricular hypertrophy was defined using left ventricular mass index (LVMI) criteria specific for children and adults. The pediatric criterion was LVMI2.7 > 95th percentile for gender and the adult criterion was LVMI2.7 > 51g/m2.7. Participants from the original studies were included in this analysis if they had complete demographic information, anthropometric measures, casual blood pressures, ambulatory blood pressures, and echocardiography data. There were 241 children and adolescents included: 19.1% were normotensive, 17.0% had white coat hypertension, 11.6% had masked hypertension, and 52.4% had confirmed hypertension. Of those with hypertension, 22.4% had stage 1 hypertension, 5.8% had stage 2 hypertension, and 24.1% had stage 3 hypertension. Participants with confirmed hypertension were more likely to have LVH by pediatric criterion than those who were normotensive [OR 2.19, 95% CI (1.04–4.63)]; LVH defined by adult criterion did not differ significantly in normotensives compared with hypertensives [OR 2.08, 95% CI (0.58–7.52)]. However, there was a significant trend in the increased prevalence of LVH across the six blood pressure categories for LVH defined by both pediatric and adult criteria (p < 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively). Additionally, the mean LVM indexed by height 2.7 had a significantly increased trend across blood pressure stages from normal to stage 3 hypertension (p < 0.02). Pediatric hypertension is defined using population norms, and although children with mild hypertension are not at increased odds of having target organ damage defined by LVH, those with severe hypertension are more likely to have LVH. Staging hypertension by ambulatory blood pressure further describes an individual's risk for LVH target organ damage. ^

Validating the dietary intake questions from the Tu Salud, ¡Si Cuenta! questionnaire

Background. Poor nutrition is an important factor in the onset of obesity which is a growing problem in the United States that disproportionately affects Mexican-Americans. In order to form recommendations and effectively target nutrition in interventions it is necessary to have valid epidemiological tools to better understand dietary trends. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the validity of the nutritional intake questions from the Tu Salud, ¡Sí Cuenta! Questionnaire in an adult Mexican-American population. Methods. Fifty participants in the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort were recruited into the validity study, which consisted of completing the Tu Salud, ¡Sí Cuenta! questionnaire and the 24-hour recall with a 2 hour time period between administrations. Responses were analyzed to determine the percent agreement, kappa statistic and Spearman rank order correlation. Results: Five items had good validity (>0.6), three items had fair validity (>0.4), and three items had poor validity (<0.4). In general, items that had low validity were those that were reported in low frequencies by study subjects. Overall, the Tu Salud, ¡Sí Cuenta! questionnaire showed good validity, making this questionnaire a valuable tool to assess the dietary intake patterns of this Mexican-American adult population. ^