Midwives’views and experiences of providing healthy eating advice to pregnant women:a qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews

Objective:To explore midwives’views on how they provide healthy eating education to pregnant women after attending a healthy eating education workshop/webinar.Methods:A qualitative descriptive approach was utilized.Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the views and experiences of midwives on providing healthy eating education for pregnant women.A purposive sample of six midwives was interviewed face-to-face,and one was conducted by telephone interview.Data were analyzed through qualitative conventional content analysis.Results:Midwives described their views and experiences of factors that impacted their role in providing healthy eating educa-tion.They identified three categories:perceived role of midwi ves,health literacy,and model of care.Conclusions:Knowledge and confidence of midwives improved after attending the workshop/webinar on healthy eating education.Findings suggested that midwives perceived their role as important in providing nutrition education.However,time and resources were highlighted as challenges when providing healthy eating education for pregnant women.The availability of health literacy and model of care were significant factors in enabling midwives to adequately provide this education.Midwives acknowledged a need for further education in areas of vegan diet,cultural food preferences for ethnic minority groups,and regular updates on national healthy eating guidelines.

The effectiveness of a 17-week lifestyle intervention on health behaviors among airline pilots during COVID-19

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 17-week,3-component lifestyle intervention for enhancing health behaviors during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Methods:A parallel-group(intervention and control)study was conducted amongst 79 airline pilots over a 17-week period during the COVID-19 pandemic.The intervention group(n=38)received a personalized sleep,dietary,and physical activity(PA)program.The control group(n=41)received no intervention.Outcome measures for sleep,fruit and vegetable intake,PA,and subjective health were measured though an online survey before and after the 17-week period.The changes in outcome measures were used to determine the efficacy of the intervention.Results:Significant main effects for time￡group were found for International Physical Activity Questionnaire-walk(p=0.02)and for all other outcome measures(p<0.01).The intervention group significantly improved in sleep duration(p<0.01;d=1.35),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score(p<0.01;d=1.14),moderate-to-vigorous PA(p<0.01;d=1.44),fruit and vegetable intake(p<0.01;d=2.09),Short Form 12v2 physical score(p<0.01;d=1.52),and Short Form 12v2 mental score(p<0.01;d=2.09).The control group showed significant negative change for sleep duration,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score,and Short Form 12v2 mental score(p<0.01).Conclusion:Results provide preliminary evidence that a 3-component healthy sleep,eating,and PA intervention elicit improvements in health behaviors and perceived subjective health in pilots and may improve quality of life during an unprecedented global pandemic.

Evaluation of a Nutrition Intervention through a School-Based Food Garden to Improve Dietary Consumption, Habits and Practices in Children from the Third to Fifth Grade in Chile

Objective: Use a school-based food garden as an instrument to improve healthy dietary consumption, habits, and practices among children from the third to fifth grade in public schools in Chile. Design: Quasi-experimental, six-month intervention with an evaluation of dietary consumption, habits, and practices and use of the school-based food garden among the 3rd to 5th grade students. Setting: Two municipal schools in a low-middle income district in Santiago de Chile;one with a school garden intervention and a control school without a garden. Subjects: 155 third to fifth grade children, 63 in the intervention school and 92 in the control school (average age 10 years old, 58% boys). Results: In the intervened school, there was a significant improvement in the children’s dietary habits, such as peeling and slicing fruit (p < 0.05), making sandwiches (p < 0.05), and increased motivation to cook (p < 0.05). Fruit purchases at the school rose from 4% to 37% (p < 0.05) by the end of the intervention. Interest in growing vegetables or fruits at home increased from 48% to 70% (p < 0.05). The school children at the intervention school significantly increased their knowledge about 16 of 21 garden crops (p < 0.05), expanding the spectrum of the vegetables they can consume. There were no significant changes in the control school. Conclusions: The school-based food garden was effective in achieving change in dietary habits and practices among the third to fifth grade children. The project should be carried out for a longer period of time, so that the changes will be reflected in the students’ food consumption and nutritional status.

Joint association of physical activity/screen time and diet on CVD risk factors in 10-year-old children

The increasing prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity has been associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease(CVD).While several studies examined the effect of single behaviors such as physical activity(PA),sedentary behavior or diet on CVD risk,there is a lack of research on combined associations,specifically in children.Therefore,the purpose of this study was to examine the joint association of PA or screen time(ST)and diet on CVD risk factors in children.PA,STand diet were assessed via questionnaire in 210 fifth grade students(age:10.6±0.4 years).The healthy eating index(HEI)was subsequently calculated as indicator for diet quality.Height,weight,% body fat,and resting blood pressure were measured according to standard procedures and blood samples obtained via fingerprick were assayed for blood lipids.Total cholesterol HDL ratio(TC:HDL),mean arterial pressure(MAP),and % body fat were used as indicators of CVD risk.55% of children did not meet current PA recommendations on at least 5 days/week and 70% exceeded current recommendations for ST.Further,only 2.5% possessed a“good”diet(HEI>80).There was no significant association of PA or STand diet on CVD risk score.Neither TC:HDL,MAP,and % body fat nor the total CVD risk score was significantly correlated with diet,PA,or ST.Children in the high PA group,however,had significantly better diet scores.Despite the fact that self-reported PA,ST,or dietary intake were not directly related to CVD risk in this sample,higher activity levels were associated with a healthier diet and lower ST indicating an overall healthier lifestyle of this subgroup.