A COVID-19 vaccine can be an important key for mitigating the spread of the pandemic, provided that it is accepted by a sufficient proportion of the population. This study investigated parents’ intention to get vaccinated and to have one’s child vaccinated against COVID-19. In May 2020, 612 parents participating with their child in the KUNO-Kids health study completed an online survey. Multivariable logistic regression models were calculated to analyze predictors of intention to vaccinate. Fifty-eight percent of parents intended to get vaccinated against COVID-19, and 51% intended to have their child vaccinated. Significant predictors for the intention to get vaccinated and for having the child vaccinated included stronger parental confidence in one’s knowledge about prevention measures and lower beliefs that policy measures were exaggerated.Conclusion: COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy was considerable in our sample of parents in Germany. However, our study revealed some potentially modifiable factors which should be addressed by a comprehensive and tailored communication and education strategy. What is Known?• A COVID-19 vaccine can mitigate the spread of the pandemic.• Many parents are skeptical about vaccinations in general. What is New?• COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy was considerable in our sample of parents from Germany, not only for getting vaccinated but also for having the child vaccinated.• Negative parental attitudes regarding policy measures to contain the pandemic were associated with a lower intention to vaccinate.

Increasing prevalences of overweight and obesity in children are known problems in industrialized countries. Early prevention is important as overweight and obesity persist over time and are related with health problems later in adulthood. "Komm mit in das gesunde Boot - Grundschule" is a school-based program to promote a healthier lifestyle. Main goals of the intervention are to increase physical activity, decrease the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, and to decrease time spent sedentary by promoting active choices for healthy lifestyle. The program to date is distributed by 34 project delivery consultants in the state of Baden-Württemberg and is currently implemented in 427 primary schools. The efficacy of this large scale intervention is examined via the Baden-Württemberg Study.

Adherence to medication is crucial for achieving treatment control in chronic obstructive lung diseases. This study refers to the “necessity-concerns framework” and examines the associations between beliefs about medicines and self-reported medication adherence in people with chronic obstructive lung disease. 402 patients (196 with asthma, 206 with COPD) participated in the study and completed a questionnaire comprising the “Beliefs about Medicines-Questionnaire” (BMQ) and the “Medication Adherence Report Scale” (MARS). Multivariable logistic regression analyses with the BMQ-subscales as explanatory and the dichotomized MARS-score as dependent variable were computed for the asthma and the COPD sample, respectively, and adjusted for potentially confounding variables. 19% of asthma patients and 34% of COPD patients were completely adherent to their prescribed medication. While specific beliefs about the necessity of medicines were positively associated with medication adherence both in patients with asthma and with COPD, general beliefs about harm and overuse of medicines by doctors were negatively associated with medication adherence only among patients with asthma. The findings of this study suggest that patients’ specific beliefs about the necessity of medicines represent an important modifiable target for improving patient–doctor consultations when prescribing medicines.

Birth cohort studies can contribute substantially to the understanding of health and disease — in childhood and over the life course. The KUNO-Kids birth cohort study was established to investigate various aspects of child health, using novel omics technologies in a systems medicine approach. After 3 years of recruitment, 2515 infants and their families have joined the study. Parents with higher education are overrepresented as in many other birth cohorts and are more likely to complete follow-up assessments via self-report questionnaires. The vast majority of participants consented to clinical examinations of their child and to the non-invasive collection of diverse biosamples, which were processed specifically for their integrated use in omics technology covering genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, and microbiome analyses of the skin, oral cavity, and stool. The data and diverse biomaterial collected in the KUNO-Kids birth cohort study will provide extensive opportunities for investigating child health and its determinants in a holistic approach. The combination of a broad range of research questions in one study will allow for a cost-effective use of biomaterial and omics results and for a comprehensive analysis of biological and social determinants of health and disease. Aiming for low attrition and ensuring participants’ long-term commitment will be crucial to fully exploit the potential of the study.

Objective: The present review aimed to identify and synthesize studies that used an empowerment approach within the field of healthy nutrition.Design: A systematic review was conducted. Studies were identified by database searching (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Psyndex). Searching, selecting and reporting were done according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) Statement.Setting: Health promotion including the subject of healthy nutrition.Subjects: Individuals from non-clinical populations.Results: A total of 1226 studies were screened for eligibility, eight studies were finally included. Three studies used the empowerment approach within a qualitative research paradigm and five studies within (quasi-) experimental intervention studies. Heterogeneity in settings, samples and evaluation methods was high. Most studies referred to the key message of empowerment, i.e. taking control over one’s own life. However, the ways in which this key message was implemented in the interventions differed considerably.Conclusions: The number of studies included was very low. Furthermore, most studies had some limitations in terms of reporting how the empowerment approach was actually applied. The empowerment approach still seems to be unfamiliar within the field of healthy nutrition.