Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) annually claims more lives and costs more dollars than any other disease globally amid widening health disparities, despite the known significant reductions in this burden by low cost dietary changes. The world's first medical school-based teaching kitchen therefore launched CHOP-Medical Students as the largest known multisite cohort study of hands-on cooking and nutrition education versus traditional curriculum for medical students. Methods This analysis provides a novel integration of artificial intelligence-based machine learning (ML) with causal inference statistics. 43 ML automated algorithms were tested, with the top performer compared to triply robust propensity score-adjusted multilevel mixed effects regression panel analysis of longitudinal data. Inverse-variance weighted fixed effects meta-analysis pooled the individual estimates for competencies. Results 3,248 unique medical trainees met study criteria from 20 medical schools nationally from August 1, 2012, to June 26, 2017, generating 4,026 completed validated surveys. ML analysis produced similar results to the causal inference statistics based on root mean squared error and accuracy. Hands-on cooking and nutrition education compared to traditional medical school curriculum significantly improved student competencies (OR 2.14, 95% CI 2.00–2.28, p < 0.001) and MedDiet adherence (OR 1.40, 95% CI 1.07–1.84, p = 0.015), while reducing trainees' soft drink consumption (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.37–0.85, p = 0.007). Overall improved competencies were demonstrated from the initial study site through the scale-up of the intervention to 10 sites nationally (p < 0.001). Discussion This study provides the first machine learning-augmented causal inference analysis of a multisite cohort showing hands-on cooking and nutrition education for medical trainees improves their competencies counseling patients on nutrition, while improving students' own diets. This study suggests that the public health and medical sectors can unite population health management and precision medicine for a sustainable model of next-generation health systems providing effective, equitable, accessible care beginning with reversing the CVD epidemic.

Accumulating evidence supports the concurrent association between parent distress and behavior and child functioning in the context of chronic pain, with existing longitudinal studies limited to a pediatric surgical context that identify parent catastrophizing as influential. In this study, we examined how parent factors assessed at a multidisciplinary pediatric pain clinic evaluation impact child psychological and functional outcomes over time. A cohort of 195 patients with chronic pain (ages 8–17) and their parents who presented for a multidisciplinary evaluation completed measures at baseline and at four-month follow-up. Patients completed measures of pain catastrophizing, pain-related fear and avoidance, generalized anxiety, depressive symptoms, and functional disability. Parents completed measures of pain catastrophizing, pain-related fear and avoidance, and protective responses to child pain. Parent reported child school functioning was also collected. Parent distress and behavior was concurrently associated with child distress and functioning at evaluation. After controlling for baseline child functioning, baseline parent avoidance and protective behavior emerged as significant predictors of child functioning at four-month follow-up. Parent distress and behavior influence child distress and functioning over time and these findings identify key parent domains to target in the context of a child’s pain treatment.

BackgroundAmongst women with certain types of ovulatory disorder infertility, the studies are conflicting whether there is an increased risk of long-term cardiovascular disease risk. This paper evaluates the associations of several CVD risk factors among Framingham women with self-reported infertility.MethodsWomen who completed the Framingham Heart Study Third Generation and Omni Cohort 2 Exam 2 (2008–2011), and reported on past history of infertility and current cardiovascular disease status were included in this cross-sectional study. Directly measured CVD risk factors were: resting blood pressure, fasting lipid levels, fasting blood glucose, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI). Multivariable models adjusted for age, smoking, physical activity, and cohort. Generalized estimating equations adjusted for family correlations. We performed sensitivity analyses to determine whether the association between infertility and CVD risk factors is modified by menopausal status and menstrual cycle length.ResultsComparing women who self-reported infertility to those who did not, there was an average increase in BMI (β = 1.03 kg/m2, 95% CI: 0.18, 1.89), waist circumference (β = 3.08 in., 95% CI: 1.06, 5.09), triglycerides (β = 4.47 mg/dl, 95% CI:−1.54, 10.49), and a decrease in HDL cholesterol (β = −1.60 mg/dl, 95% CI: −3.76, 0.56). We estimated that infertile premenopausal women have an increased odds of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) (OR = 1.56, 95% CI: 1.11, 4.49) and diabetes (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 0.86, 4.49).ConclusionsBMI and waist circumference were the most strongly correlated CVD risk factors amongst women reporting a history of infertility.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common nutritional deficiency in children. Most children with IDA are treated with oral iron preparations. However, intravenous (IV) iron is an alternative for children with severe IDA who have difficulty in adhering to or absorbing oral iron. We sought to describe the safety and effectiveness of IV iron sucrose for treatment of IDA in children. Pharmacy records of children who received IV iron sucrose at a children's hospital between 2004 and 2014 were reviewed. Laboratory markers of anemia and iron studies were obtained and preinfusion and postinfusion values were compared. Records were also reviewed for adverse reactions. A total of 142 patients received IV iron sucrose over 10 years. The mean age was 11 years, 9 months. One patient of 142 developed cough and wheezing during the infusion. No other adverse events were found. IV iron sucrose resulted in a statistically significant and clinically meaningful increase in hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, serum iron, ferritin, and % iron saturation, with a corresponding decrease in total iron binding capacity. The use of IV iron sucrose in pediatric patients with IDA is safe and leads to a moderate increase in hemoglobin and substantial improvement in iron studies.