PORTIONING, SLOWER EATING RATE DOES NOT LOWER FAST FOOD CALORIE INTAKE

Eating smaller portions of fast food, at a slower rate, does not lower calorie (energy) intake, according to a new study. “Altering Portion Sizes and Eating Rate to Attenuate Gorging During a Fast Food Meal: Effects on Energy Intake,” assessed the calorie intake of 18 adolescents, age 13 to 17, during a meal of chicken nuggets, french fries and cola. Each adolescent received the same amount of food and beverage in one of three ways - in a single serving at one time, four small servings at one time, or four small servings presented at 15-minute intervals. Regardless of the portion size or eating rate, each participant consumed approximately 50 percent of his or her daily energy needs during the meal. The findings suggested that nutritional factors inherent to fast food, including low levels of dietary fiber, and high fat, sugar and glycemic content, promoted excess energy intake. And while portion control efforts should continue, fundamental improvements in fast food nutritional quality may be needed to prevent obesity.

STRIKING NUMBER OF YOUNG CHILDREN HAVE TVS IN THEIR BEDROOM

Adolescents are bombarded with billions of smoking images in the movies, according to the new study, “Exposure to Movie Smoking Among US Adolescents Aged 10 to 14 Years: A Population Estimate.” Study authors found 3,830 total smoking occurrences in 534 contemporary box-office hits (74 percent contained smoking) rated PG-13 and R. They then asked 6,522 adolescents, age 10 to 14, whether they had seen these particular movies. Overall, these movies delivered 13.9 billion gross smoking impressions, an average of 665 for each U.S. adolescent in this age group. Thirty popular movies each delivered more than 100 million gross smoking impressions each. Removing smoking from youth-rated films would eliminate 60 percent of the exposure. In addition, of over 3,000 actors starring in these movies, some 500 smoked, 30 of whom delivered more than one-quarter of the smoking impressions.

DELINQUENT YOUTH LIKELY TO CONTINUE HIGH-RISK BEHAVIOR FOR HIV/STDs

Youth involved in the juvenile justice system continued to engage in high-risk behavior for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as they aged, according to a new study. Approximately 800 juvenile detainees, aged 10 to 18 in Cook County, Illinois, were interviewed about their high-risk drug and sex behaviors, and then re-interviewed three years later for the study, “A Longitudinal Study of the Prevalence, Development, and Persistence of HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infection Risk Behaviors in Delinquent Youth: Implications for Health Care in the Community.” Of the youth who reported 10 or more high-risk behaviors at the first interview, including unprotected sex, sex with a high-risk partner, sex with multiple partners, intravenous drug use, and alcohol and/or marijuana use, more than two-thirds continued to report 10 or more high-risk behaviors at the follow-up interview. Males were more likely than females to persist in having sex with multiple partners, and sex while drunk or high. Females were more likely to begin using injection drugs, and to have receptive anal sex. Because most detained youth return to their communities, the study urges additional research to explore the causes of high-risk behavior, to ultimately reduce the spread of HIV and STDs.

MOTHERS OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN SHOW REMARKABLE STRENGTHS

A new study found that although mothers of children with autism were more likely to report being stressed and in “poor” or “fair” mental health, they had a closer relationship with their child, better parent coping skills, and less anger than mothers of non-autistic children. Study authors of “Psychological Functioning and Coping Among Mothers of Children With Autism: A Population-Based Study” reviewed results from the 2003 National Survey of Children’s Health in which mothers of 61,772 children, including 364 children with autism, were interviewed on their physical and mental health status, parent-child relationships, social support and household stability. The mothers of autistic children exhibited remarkable strengths in coping, parent-child relationship and psychological functioning. The report concluded that these families used successful strategies to maintain family stability despite greater stress and poorer mental health.

MEDICAID CUTS WOULD STRAIN HOSPITAL, COMMUNITY HEALTH RESOURCES

Medicaid program changes that result in the disenrollment of children from public health insurance programs would significantly increase the number of uncompensated emergency department visits and hospital stays, as well as the total community cost of providing health care. “Impact of Medicaid Disenrollment on Health Care Use and Cost,” reviewed health care transactions in the Phoenix metropolitan area in 2004 for more than 43,000 uninsured children, and 168,722 children insured by Medicaid/State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The study authors estimated that a 10 percent disenrollment of children insured by SCHIP would increase community health costs by $3,460,398 each year, or $2,121 per child. The increased expenses primarily were due to a shift from physician office to emergency department care. Such changes not only would increase overall community health care costs, but also would worsen emergency department overcrowding and hospital bed shortages.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.