BackgroundLow levels of physical activity in children have been linked to an increased risk of obesity, but many children lack confidence in relation to exercise (exercise self-efficacy). Factors which can impact on confidence include a chronic health condition such as asthma, poor motor skills and being overweight. Increasing levels of physical activity have obvious benefits for children with asthma and children who are overweight, but few activity interventions with children specifically target children with low exercise self-efficacy (ESE). This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of a schools-based activity programme suitable for children with risk factors for adult obesity, including asthma, overweight and low exercise self-efficacy.Methods/DesignA clustered (at the level of school) RCT will be used to compare a targeted, 10 week, stepped activity programme (activity diary, dance DVD, circuit-training and motivational interviewing) designed to promote ESE. We will recruit 20 primary schools to participate in the intervention and 9-11 year old children will be screened for low levels of ESE, asthma and overweight. In order to provide sufficient power to detect a difference in primary outcomes (Body Mass Index-BMI & ESE at 12 month follow-up) between children in the intervention schools and control schools, the target sample size is 396. Assessments of BMI, ESE, waist circumference, peak flow, activity levels and emotional and behavioural difficulties will be made at baseline, 4 months and 12 month follow-up.DiscussionWe aim to increase ESE and levels of physical activity in children with risk factors for adult obesity. The outcomes of this study will inform policy makers about the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of delivering targeted health interventions within a school setting.Trial RegistrationISRCTN Register no. ISRCTN12650001
Colonic inflammation in Clostridium difficile infection is mediated by released toxins A and B. We investigated responses to C. difficile toxins A and B by isolated primary human colonic myofibroblasts, which represent a distinct subpopulation of mucosal cells that are normally located below the intestinal epithelium. Following incubation with either purified toxin A or B, there was a change in myofibroblast morphology to stellate cells with processes that were immunoreactive for alpha-smooth muscle actin. Most of the myofibroblasts remained viable, with persistence of stellate morphology, despite exposure to high concentrations (up to 10 g/ml) of toxin A for 72 h. In contrast, a majority of the toxin B-exposed myofibroblasts lost their processes prior to cell death over 24 to 72 h. At low concentrations, toxin A provided protection against toxin B-induced cell death. Within 4 h, myofibroblasts exposed to either toxin A or toxin B lost expression of the nonglucosylated form of Rac1, and there was also a loss of the active form of RhoA. Despite preexposure to high concentrations of toxin A for 3 h, colonic myofibroblasts were able to recover their morphology and proliferative capacity during prolonged culture in medium. However, toxin B-preexposed myofibroblasts were not able to recover. In conclusion, primary human colonic mucosal myofibroblasts are resistant to toxin A (but not toxin B)-induced cell death. Responses by colonic myofibroblasts may play an important role in mucosal protection, repair, and regeneration in colitis due to C. difficile infection.
Background and aims: Surprisingly, previous research has suggested an association between overweight and symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity (ADHD) in children. This study aims to explore whether children with risk factors for obesity recruited to an activity intervention have higher rates of inattention/hyperactivity compared to a normative population.
Background There were increasing evidence supporting the presence of the relationship between sleep duration and obesity. However, whether a negative linear trend or a U-shaped pattern could explain the relationship has been a topic of debate. Objectives To examine whether the possible association between sleep duration and obesity is U-shaped among school-aged children. Participants and methods A random sample of 20,778 children aged 5.01 to 11.99 years participated in a cross-sectional survey conducted in eight cities of China. The Chinese version of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire was used to collect information on children's sleep behaviors. Height and weight were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Overweight/obesity was defined by the standardized internationally referenced genderand age-specific BMI cut-offs. Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity in our sampled school-aged children was 11.7% and 7.1%, respectively. There was a significant U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and overweight/obesity after adjusting for age, gender, parents' educational levels, family income, media-use, homework schedule, and physical activity. The estimated nadir of the sleep duration curve was approximately 9.4 hours/d for boys and approximately 9.6 hours/d for girls. Interestingly, the U-shaped relationship showed different characteristics between boys and girls. Moreover, dose-effect trend was observed both in boys and girls. Conclusions Both short and long sleep duration maybe independently associated with a higher risk of overweight/obesity in children, indicating sleep plays a precise and complicated, although unclear, role in the regulation of energy metabolism.
Background and aims:Identifying primary school children who are not sufficiently active will permit timely intervention by parents, schools and healthcare professionals. This study aims to investigate the accuracy of teachers' ratings of children's body size and barriers to participation in physical activities.
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