Food consumption by young adults living in Ribeirão Preto, SP, 2002/2004

There is evidence showing a close relationship between diet and the occurrence of non-communicable chronic diseases. The present study assessed food consumption in a 2002/2004 cohort of young adults born in 1978/79 in Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. The composition of the habitual diet consumed by a sample of 2063 individuals aged 23-25 years was analyzed using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire based on studies of prevention of non-communicable chronic diseases. The Dietsys software was used for dietary calculations. In terms of WHO/2003 recommendations, there was a high mean daily consumption of energy from fat (consumption: 35.4%; recommendation: 15-30%), a low mean intake of energy from carbohydrates (47.5%; 55-75%) and a low mean consumption of total fibers (15.2 g; >25 g). Mean intake of energy from fatty acids (10%; <10%) and protein (15.6%; 10-15%) was within recommended limits. When compared to the recommendations of the food pyramid adapted to the Brazilian population, adequate intake was observed only regarding the meat group (consumption: 1.9 portions; recommended: 1-2). There was a low consumption of vegetables (2.9; 4-5), fruits (1.2; 3-5), breads (3.6; 6-9), and dairy products (1.7; 3), with excessive fat and sugar intake (5.7; 1-2). We conclude that the inadequate food consumption observed in this young population may be associated with the development of excess weight and may contribute to the triggering of non-communicable chronic diseases.

Correlates of C-reactive protein levels in young adults: a population-based cohort study of 3827 subjects in Brazil

The socio-demographic, behavioral and anthropometric correlates of C-reactive protein levels were examined in a representative young adult Brazilian population. The 1982 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study (Brazil) recruited over 99% of births in the city of Pelotas that year (N = 5914). Individuals belonging to the cohort have been prospectively followed up. In 2004-2005, 77.4% of the cohort was traced, members were interviewed and 3827 individuals donated blood. Analyses of the outcome were based on a conceptual model that differentiated confounders from potential mediators. The following independent variables were studied in relation to levels of C-reactive protein in sex-stratified analyses: skin color, age, family income, education, parity, body mass index, waist circumference, smoking, fat/fiber/alcohol intake, physical activity, and minor psychiatric disorder. Geometric mean (95% confidence interval) C-reactive protein levels for the 1919 males and 1908 females were 0.89 (0.84-0.94) and 1.96 mg/L (1.85-2.09), respectively. Pregnant women and those using oral contraceptive therapies presented the highest C-reactive protein levels and all sub-groups of women had higher levels than men (P < 0.001). Significant associations between C-reactive protein levels were observed with age, socioeconomic indicators, obesity status, smoking, fat and alcohol intake, and minor psychiatric disorder. Associations were stronger at higher levels of C-reactive protein and some associations were sex-specific. We conclude that both distal (socio-demographic) and proximal (anthropometric and behavioral) factors exert strong effects on C-reactive protein levels and that the former are mediated to some degree by the latter.

Autonomic and electrocortical indices of performance monitoring and source memory discrimination in older and younger adults

Reduced capacity for executive cognitive function and for the autonomic control of cardiac responsivity are both concomitants of the aging process. These may be linked through their mutual dependence on medial prefrontal function, but the specifics ofthat linkage have not been well explored. Executive functions associated with medial prefrontal cortex involve various aspects ofperformance monitoring, whereas centrally mediated autonomic functions can be observed as heart rate variability (HRV), i.e., variability in the length of intervals between heart beats. The focus for this thesis was to examine the degree to which the capacity for phasic autonomic adjustments to heart rate relates to performance monitoring in younger and older adults, using measures of electrocortical and autonomic activity. Behavioural performance and attention allocation during two age-sensitive tasks could be predicted by various aspects of autonomic control. For young adults, greater influence of the parasympathetic system on HRV was beneficial for learning unfamiliar maze paths; for older adults, greater sympathetic influence was detrimental to these functions. Further, these relationships were primarily evoked when the task required the construction and use of internalized representations of mazes rather than passive responses to feedback. When memory for source was required, older adults made three times as many source errors as young adults. However, greater parasympathetic influence on HRV in the older group was conducive to avoiding source errors and to reduced electrocortical responses to irrelevant information. Higher sympathetic predominance, in contrast, was associated with higher rates of source error and greater electrocortical responses tq non-target information in both groups. These relations were not seen for 11 errors associated with a speeded perceptual task, irrespective of its difficulty level. Overall, autonomic modulation of cardiac activity was associated with higher levels of performance monitoring, but differentially across tasks and age groups. With respect to age, those older adults who had maintained higher levels of autonomic cardiac regulation appeared to have also maintained higher levels of executive control over task performance.

Autonomic prediction of error-related ERP components in perceptual and conceptual tasks in older and younger adults

In studies of cognitive processing, the allocation of attention has been consistently linked to subtle, phasic adjustments in autonomic control. Both autonomic control of heart rate and control of the allocation of attention are known to decline with age. It is not known, however, whether characteristic individual differences in autonomic control and the ability to control attention are closely linked. To test this, a measure of parasympathetic function, vagal tone (VT) was computed from cardiac recordings from older and younger adults taken before and during performance of two attentiondemanding tasks - the Eriksen visual flanker task and the source memory task. Both tasks elicited event-related potentials (ERPs) that accompany errors, i.e., error-related negativities (ERNs) and error positivities (Pe's). The ERN is a negative deflection in the ERP signal, time-locked to responses made on incorrect trials, likely generated in the anterior cingulate. It is followed immediately by the Pe, a broad, positive deflection which may reflect conscious awareness of having committed an error. Age-attenuation ofERN amplitude has previously been found in paradigms with simple stimulus-response mappings, such as the flanker task, but has rarely been examined in more complex, conceptual tasks. Until now, there have been no reports of its being investigated in a source monitoring task. Age-attenuation of the ERN component was observed in both tasks. Results also indicated that the ERNs generated in these two tasks were generally comparable for young adults. For older adults, however, the ERN from the source monitoring task was not only shallower, but incorporated more frontal processing, apparently reflecting task demands. The error positivities elicited by 3 the two tasks were not comparable, however, and age-attenuation of the Pe was seen only in the more perceptual flanker task. For younger adults, it was Pe scalp topography that seemed to reflect task demands, being maximal over central parietal areas in the flanker task, but over very frontal areas in the source monitoring task. With respect to vagal tone, in the flanker task, neither the number of errors nor ERP amplitudes were predicted by baseline or on-task vagal tone measures. However, in the more difficult source memory task, lower VT was marginally associated with greater numbers of source memory errors in the older group. Thus, for older adults, relatively low levels of parasympathetic control over cardiac response coincided with poorer source memory discrimination. In both groups, lower levels of baseline VT were associated with larger amplitude ERNs, and smaller amplitude Pe's. Thus, low VT was associated in a conceptual task with a greater "emergency response" to errors, and at the same time, reduced awareness of having made them. The efficiency of an individual's complex cognitive processing was therefore associated with the flexibility of parasympathetic control of heart rate, in response to a cognitively challenging task.

An examination of the role of personality and self-regulation in the gambling behaviours of late adolescents and emerging adults

The purposes of this study were: a) to examine the role of personality and selfregulation in the gambling behaviour participation of late adolescents and emerging adults. In particular, the present study examined i f certain personality traits were more prevalent in high-risk gamblers than in young people considered low or at-risk gamblers; and, b) to examine i f the ability to self-regulate helped distinguish differences among the three groups of gamblers (low-risk, at-risk, and high-risk gamblers). A sample of late adolescents and emerging adults (N = 100) attending Brock University, completed a survey that assessed current gambling behaviour (both frequency and consequence experience), personality, self-esteem, and self-regulation. It was found that high-risk gamblers had lower scores on the personality dimensions Emotionality, Conscientiousness (especially on its Prudence facet), and Honesty-Humility (especially on its Fairness, Greed Avoidance, and Modesty facets) than at-risk or low-risk gamblers and higher scores on impulsive sensation seeking and impulsivity than at-risk or low-risk gamblers. Similarly, high-risk gamblers reported lower levels of self-regulation than both at-risk and low-risk gamblers. The findings from this study support past research which suggests that young people who gamble at problematic levels differ on many personality traits and often have more difficulty self-regulating than young people who do not participate at problematic levels. Findings may aid in the development of intervention and prevention programs that utilize specific self-regulation techniques with a young gambling population.

An examination of outdoor experience in the development of character in young adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Connected in Motion is a not for profit organization serving young adults with Type 1 diabetes. The organization hosted outdoor and experiential Type 1 diabetes education programs in January of2009 and 2010. The weekends provided non-clinical alternative Type 1 diabetes education to the underserved population of young adults within Canada. Six women living with Type I diabetes and between the ages of 22 and 30 participated in the Winter Slipstream weekends participated in this phenomenological research study. Through semi-structured interviews and artifact-elicitation interviews, ,{ the lived experiences of the participants were examined. Data analysis indicated that the sense of community created through outdoor programming and experiential education for young adults with Type I diabetes stimulated the development of self-efficacy and participant-perceived improvement in Type 1 diabetes self-management. There was no indication that outdoor and experiential Type I diabetes education had any impact on the development of autonomy among participants. Recommendations are made to encourage the successful implementation of further alternative (non-clinical) Type 1 diabetes education programs for young adults living with Type 1 diabetes.

The Impact of Labeling in Childhood on the Sense of Self of Young Adults

Research studies on labeling of children have either focused on the effects of formal labels on the lives of children with exceptionalities and mental health issues, or the effect of informal labeling by parents, peers and teachers on teenagers. The effects of informal labeling in childhood and its implications in later life or for one’s career choice have not yet been examined. This study adds to the growing research on informal labeling. The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine what negative effects informal labeling of children as deviant had on their lives. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted with seventeen young adults, between the ages of sixteen and thirty years, from a post-secondary institution and an organization for homeless youth. The results showed an initial negative impact on the lives of the young adults during their childhood and early teenage years but as they progressed into their late teens and early adulthood, most were able to overcome their negative labels suggesting resilience. There were no significant gender differences in the impact of the labels. The implications of the study for policy makers and parents are discussed as well as some recommendations for parents and practitioners are offered.

Post orthodontic effects of SARPE on sleep-disordered breathing in young adults as observed in a sleep laboratory

Introduction: L’expansion palatine du maxillaire a beaucoup d’effets positifs sur la respiration et la qualité du sommeil, mais peu d'études ont examiné ces données sur des adultes ayant dépassé l’âge permettant de bénéficier d'une expansion palatine conventionnelle. Le but de cette recherche est d’évaluer la stabilité de l’EPRAC (expansion palatine rapide assistée chirurgicalement) et son effet sur les troubles respiratoires après l’ablation des appareils orthodontiques. Méthodes: Neuf patients (Âge moyen 21, entre 16-39 ans) nécessitant une EPRAC ont passé des nuits dans un laboratoire de sommeil, et ce avant l’EPRAC, après l’EPRAC, et après l’ablation des appareils fixes. Les radiographies céphalométriques postéroantérieures ainsi que les modèles d’étude ont été pris pendant ces trois périodes de temps. Résultats: L’analyse des modèles d’étude a démontré une récidive significative au niveau des distances inter-molaires et inter-canines au niveau du maxillaire seulement. Les analyses céphalométriques ont démontré une récidive au niveau de la largeur maxillaire. Aucun changement important n'a été observé dans les stades de sommeil, mais une réduction importante dans l’index de ronflement a été notée. De plus, il y avait moins de changements entre les stades de sommeil. Conclusions: La récidive squelettique est minime et cliniquement non significative. Par contre, les changements dans les distances intermolaires et intercanines sont cliniquement importants. Il semble également qu'une EPRAC ait un effet positif sur la qualité de sommeil par la réduction de l’indice de ronflement ainsi que sur la diminution des changements entre les stades de sommeil.

Social participation and protagonism: Reflections fron the Conference of the Rights of Children’s and adolescent in Brazil

This paper examines the children and young people's participation and protagonism rights based on the Conferences on Children and Adolescents Rights' experience in Brazil, based on childhood sociology. Conferences' documents were consulted on the Brazilian government websites. These study findings revealed that young people's participation has increased in the last conferences. However, it is necessary to promote a systematic and genuine participation through democratic relations construction in all development contexts where childrenand adolescent live in order to modify their life and society participative practices.

Reference values for handgrip strength in among healthy young adults

Background: Isometric grip strength, evaluated with a handgrip dynamometer, is a marker of current nutritional status and cardiometabolic risk and future morbidity and mortality. We present reference values for handgrip strength in healthy young Colombian adults (aged 18 to 29 years). Methods: The sample comprised 5.647 (2.330 men and 3.317 women) apparently healthy young university students (mean age, 20.6±2.7 years) attending public and private institutions in the cities of Bogota and Cali (Colombia). Handgrip strength was measured two times with a TKK analogue dynamometer in both hands and the highest value used in the analysis. Sex- and age-specific normative values for handgrip strength were calculated using the LMS method and expressed as tabulated percentiles from 3 to 97 and as smoothed centile curves (P3, P10, P25, P50, P75, P90 and P97). Results: Mean values for right and left handgrip strength were 38.1±8.9 and 35.9±8.6 kg for men, and 25.1±8.7 and 23.3±8.2 kg for women, respectively. Handgrip strength increased with age in both sexes and was significantly higher in men in all age categories. The results were generally more homogeneous amongst men than women. Conclusions: Sex- and age-specific handgrip strength normative values among healthy young Colombian adults are defined. This information may be helpful in future studies of secular trends in handgrip strength and to identify clinically relevant cut points for poor nutritional and elevated cardiometabolic risk in a Latin American population. Evidence of decline in handgrip strength before the end of the third decade is of concern and warrants further investigation

Reflections on practical approaches to involving children and young people in the data analysis process

This article reflects on key methodological issues emerging from children and young people's involvement in data analysis processes. We outline a pragmatic framework illustrating different approaches to engaging children, using two case studies of children's experiences of participating in data analysis. The article highlights methods of engagement and important issues such as the balance of power between adults and children, training, support, ethical considerations, time and resources. We argue that involving children in data analysis processes can have several benefits, including enabling a greater understanding of children's perspectives and helping to prioritise children's agendas in policy and practice. (C) 2007 The Author(s). Journal compilation (C) 2007 National Children's Bureau.

Parent and child perspectives on the nature of anxiety in children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a focus group study

Anxiety disorders are common among children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Despite growing knowledge about the prevalence, phenomenology and treatment of anxiety disorders, relatively little is understood about the nature and impact of anxiety in this group and little is known about autism-specific factors that may play a role in the increased prevalence of anxiety disorders. In this exploratory study, we report on a series of 5 focus groups with 17 parents of children and adolescents with ASD and anxiety. Across groups, parents gave strikingly similar descriptions of the triggers and behavioural signs associated with anxiety. Another consistent finding was that many parents reported that their children had great difficulty expressing their worries verbally and most showed their anxiety through changes in their behaviour. The impact of anxiety was reported to often be more substantial than the impact of ASD itself. The implications of the focus group findings are discussed in relation to existing literature.

Neural and psychological maturation of decision-making in adolescence and young adulthood

We examined the maturation of decision-making from early adolescence to mid-adulthood using fMRI of a variant of the Iowa gambling task. We have previously shown that performance in this task relies on sensitivity to accumulating negative outcomes in ventromedial PFC and dorsolateral PFC. Here, we further formalize outcome evaluation (as driven by prediction errors [PE], using a reinforcement learning model) and examine its development. Task performance improved significantly during adolescence, stabilizing in adulthood. Performance relied on greater impact of negative compared with positive PEs, the relative impact of which matured from adolescence into adulthood. Adolescents also showed increased exploratory behavior, expressed as a propensity to shift responding between options independently of outcome quality, whereas adults showed no systematic shifting patterns. The correlation between PE representation and improved performance strengthened with age for activation in ventral and dorsal PFC, ventral striatum, and temporal and parietal cortices. There was a medial-lateral distinction in the prefrontal substrates of effective PE utilization between adults and adolescents: Increased utilization of negative PEs, a hallmark of successful performance in the task, was associated with increased activation in ventromedial PFC in adults, but decreased activation in ventrolateral PFC and striatum in adolescents. These results suggest that adults and adolescents engage qualitatively distinct neural and psychological processes during decision-making, the development of which is not exclusively dependent on reward-processing maturation.

Clinical test responses to different orthoptic exercise regimes in typical young adults

Purpose The relative efficiency of different eye exercise regimes is unclear, and in particular the influences of practice, placebo and the amount of effort required are rarely considered. This study measured conventional clinical measures after different regimes in typical young adults. Methods 156 asymptomatic young adults were directed to carry out eye exercises 3 times daily for two weeks. Exercises were directed at improving blur responses (accommodation), disparity responses (convergence), both in a naturalistic relationship, convergence in excess of accommodation, accommodation in excess of convergence, and a placebo regime. They were compared to two control groups, neither of which were given exercises, but the second of which were asked to make maximum effort during the second testing. Results Instruction set and participant effort were more effective than many exercises. Convergence exercises independent of accommodation were the most effective treatment, followed by accommodation exercises, and both regimes resulted in changes in both vergence and accommodation test responses. Exercises targeting convergence and accommodation working together were less effective than those where they were separated. Accommodation measures were prone to large instruction/effort effects and monocular accommodation facility was subject to large practice effects. Conclusions Separating convergence and accommodation exercises seemed more effective than exercising both systems concurrently and suggests that stimulation of accommodation and convergence may act in an additive fashion to aid responses. Instruction/effort effects are large and should be carefully controlled if claims for the efficacy of any exercise regime are to be made.

Screening for convergence insufficiency using the CISS is not indicated in young adults

Aim This paper presents Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) and orthoptic findings in a sample of typical young adults who considered themselves to have normal eyesight apart from weak spectacles. Methods The CISS questionnaire was administered,followed by a full orthoptic evaluation, to 167 university undergraduate and postgraduate students during the recruitment phase of another study. The primary criterion for recruitment to this study was that participants‘feltthey had normal eyesight'. A CISS score of ≥21 was used to define‘significant’symptoms, and convergence insufficiency (CI) was defined as convergence≥8cm from the nose with a fusion range <15Δ base-out with small or no exophoria. Results The group mean CISS score was 15.4. In all, 17(10%) of the participants were diagnosed with CI, but 11(65%) of these did not have significant symptoms. 41(25%) participants returned a‘high’CISS score of ≥21 but only 6 (15%) of these had genuine CI. Sensitivity of the CISS to detect CI in this asymptomatic sample was 38%; specificity 77%; positive predictive value 15%; and negative predictive value 92%. The area under a receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.596 (95% CI 0.46 to 0.73). Conclusions‘Visual symptoms’are common in young adults, but often not related to any clinical defect, while true CI may be asymptomatic. This study suggests that screening for CI is not indicated