Biomedical subjects

M K Ebzery

Publications and source records attributed to M K Ebzery.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1995

Perspectives on the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study from the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health.

The School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study provides current data on the nutritional quality and adequacy of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) as well as on the dietary intakes of students participating in these programs. The study demonstrates that the NSLP and SBP meals and children's total diets do not conform to the recommendations of the US Department of Agriculture and the National Research Council and confirms the need to improve the nutritional quality of the nation's school meal program and student's overall dietary intakes. In this regard, the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) is the first collaborative, school-based field trial that tests the effectiveness of a multi-level intervention designed to reduce the fat, saturated fat, and sodium content of school meals and student's diets. This commentary highlights the findings and questions raised by the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study and presents an overview of CATCH, including the implications and significant questions that can be addressed by this intervention study.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

CATCH: food service program process evaluation in a multicenter trial.

Process evaluation is an essential element of a multicenter trial in order to explain study outcomes and monitor intervention progress. This paper presents the process evaluation model for the Eat Smart School Nutrition Program, the food service intervention component of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH), and describes the process evaluation strategies developed to assess this program. The paper details (1) measures of program implementation including training, support visits, and program promotion, (2) food service staff characteristics, and (3) measures of mediating variables including secular trends and school meal participation.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in the nutrient content of school lunches: results from the CATCH Eat Smart Food service Intervention.

BACKGROUND: The Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) tested the effectiveness of a multilevel intervention aimed at promoting a healthful school environment and positive eating and physical activity behaviors in children. The CATCH Eat Smart Program targeted the school food service staff and aimed to lower the total fat, saturated fat, and sodium content of school meals. METHODS: The Eat Smart intervention was conducted in 56 intervention schools over a 2(1/2)-year period.+Five consecutive days of school menu, recipe, and vendor product information were collected from intervention and control schools at three intervals, Fall 1991, Spring 1993, and Spring 1994, to assess the nutrient content of school menus as offered. RESULTS: There was a significantly greater mean reduction in the percentage of calories from total fat (adjusted mean difference -4.1%; P < 0.0001) and saturated fat (adjusted mean difference -1.3%; P = 0.003) in intervention compared with control schools from baseline to follow-up. Although the sodium content of school lunches increased in both conditions, the mean increase was significantly lower in intervention schools (adjusted mean difference -89 mg; P = 0.034). There were no statistically significant differences for total amounts of cholesterol, carbohydrate, protein, dietary fiber, total sugars, calcium, iron, vitamin A value, and vitamin C. Average total calories decreased significantly; however, the mean total calories (683 kcal) for intervention schools remained above one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances for this age group. CONCLUSIONS: The CATCH Eat Smart intervention successfully lowered the total fat and saturated fat content of school lunches as offered, while maintaining recommended amounts of calories and essential nutrients.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Changes in nutrient intakes of elementary school children following a school-based intervention: results from the CATCH Study.

BACKGROUND: Twenty-four-hour recalls were used to assess the change in nutrient intake among elementary-age school children exposed to the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH). The purpose of this paper is to compare changes in nutrient intakes between treatment groups, sexes, ethnic groups, and the four CATCH sites. METHODS: Twenty-four-hour recalls were administered to a subsample of the CATCH cohort at baseline in third grade and following the intervention in fifth grade (n = 1,182). Changes in nutrient levels for total energy, dietary cholesterol, and dietary fiber and changes in the proportion of energy from fat, protein, carbohydrate, and fatty acids were studied looking at differences by treatment group, sex, ethnicity, and site. Mixed-model analysis of variance was used to examine the change in nutrient intake, defined as intake at follow-up minus intake at baseline. RESULTS: Students in the intervention schools showed statistically significant differences in the changes in total energy and proportion of energy from total fat, saturated fat, protein, and monounsaturated fat compared with students in the control group. Students in the intervention group decreased their total fat intake from 32.7% of energy to 30.3% of energy and saturated fat from 12.8% of energy to 11.4% of energy. There were no significant differences in intervention effects by ethnic group, sex, or site. Differences in nutrient change between the school-only and the school-plus-family intervention groups were nonsignificant. CONCLUSION: The results show that a school-based intervention can positively influence children's intakes of total fat and saturated fat, suggesting that population-based approaches for reducing cardiovascular risk factors in children are feasible and effective. The results are also important in showing that the intervention was effective in Caucasian, African-American, and Hispanic students, in boys and girls, and across four regions of the United States.

Analysis of Variance↗