Objective: To examine the effectiveness of two methods of increasing fruit and fruit juice intake in pregnancy: midwives' advice and vouchers exchangeable for juice. Design: Pregnant women were randomly allocated to three groups: a control group, who received usual care; an advice group, given advice and leaflets promoting fruit and fruit juice consumption; and a voucher group, given vouchers exchangeable for fruit juice from a milk delivery firm. Dietary questionnaires were administered at , 16, 20 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. Serum b-carotene was measured at 16 and 32 weeks. Setting: An antenatal clinic in a deprived area. Subjects: Pregnant women aged 17 years and over. Results: The study comprised 190 women. Frequency of fruit consumption declined during pregnancy in all groups, but that of fruit juice increased substantially in the voucher group. Serum b-carotene concentration increased in the voucher group, from 106.2 to 141.8 mmol l 21 in women with measurements on both occasions (P ¼ 0.003), decreased from 120.0 to 99.8 mmol l 21 in the control group (P ¼ 0.005), and was unchanged in the advice group. Conclusions: Pregnant women drink more fruit juice if they receive vouchers exchangeable for juice supplied by the milk delivery service. Midwives' advice to eat more fruit has no great effect. Providing vouchers for fruit juice is a simple method of increasing its intake in a deprived population and may be useful for other sections of the community.
The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the conduct of clinical trials. For studies with physical function and physical activity outcomes that require in-person participation, thoughtful approaches in transitioning to the remote research environment are critical. Here, we share our experiences in transitioning from in-person to remote assessments of physical function and activity during the pandemic and highlight key considerations for success. Details on the development of the remote assessment protocol, integration of a two-way video platform, and implementation of remote assessments are addressed. In particular, procedural challenges and considerations in transitioning and conducting remote assessments will be discussed in terms of efforts to maintain participant safety, maximize study efficiency, and sustain trial integrity. Plans for triangulation and analysis are also discussed. Although the role of telehealth platforms and research activities in remote settings are still growing, our experiences suggest that adopting remote assessment strategies are useful and convenient in assessing study outcomes during, and possibly even beyond, the current pandemic.
Trial register and number:
ClinicalTrials.gov
[
NCT03728257
].
PURPOSE:The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of a group running program with heavy emphasis on social support and planned adherence on health-related fitness and behavioral characteristics of campus community.
METHODS:Thirty-five novice runners (18-65 yr of age; 7 males, 28 females) participated in a modified Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training marathon program in preparation for a half-marathon held on the college campus. Body mass, peak oxygen uptake, flexibility, waist/hip ratios, body fat composition, physical activity enjoyment, and exercise confidence were assessed before, after the 20 weeks of training. Ten of the participants were also assessed one year following the completion of the race.
RESULTS:All participants successfully completed the half-marathon and experienced the expected changes in health-related fitness. Peak oxygen uptake increased over 4% (p = 0.003). Although overall body mass did not change, total body fat composition decreased by 3.2%, with a range from 30.9±9.2 to 29.9±8.6% (p = 0.006). Also as expected, participants' exercise confidence increased over the 20 weeks of training (p = 0.005). An encouraging finding was the increase in enjoyment over the 20 weeks of training despite a challenging training program and goal. Changes in behavioral and fitness measures were maintained over the 1-year follow up for participants who returned in year two, and a decrease in body mass (p = 0.004) was experienced.
CONCLUSIONS:These results demonstrate that when social support and goal setting are used effectively high levels of exercise adherence and compliance can be achieved and exercise enjoyment can be increased even with a very challenging exercise goal. Increases in confidence and fitness likely contributed to the maintenance of positive changes into year two.School-based health promotion research seeks to improve students' ability to make healthier choices. However, few studies have examined the viability of implementation for programs specifically among young minority students.
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