Health literacy (HL) has been determined for the general population and for subgroups, though the relationship between HL and active transport in rural areas was not explored. The aim of our study is to investigate HL among citizens in an Austrian rural region and to explore the associations between HL and active transport. This cross-sectional telephone survey included 288 adults (171 women) with a mean age of 57.8 (SD 0.9). HL was assessed using the HLS-EU-Q16 questionnaire. Active transport was measured as the minutes per week spent on walking or cycling from A to B. After descriptive analysis, the association between HL and active transport was assessed using linear regression models. The mean HL score for all participants was 37.1 (SD 7.7). Among all subjects, 6.9% showed inadequate HL, 25.7% problematic HL, 38.9% sufficient HL, and 28.5% excellent HL. HL was significantly higher among citizens with high education (p = 0.04) and training/employment in healthcare (p = 0.001). Active transport was not associated with HL (p = 0.281). Active transport in rural areas might be influenced by other predictors like distance to work, street connectivity, and accessible facilities for walking and biking. This needs to be explored further for rural areas.

Physical activity has a variety of health benefits for young people. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children and adolescents aged 5–17 years should be physically active for at least 60 min a day. This Health Impact Assessment (HIA) examined the potential impact of a daily physical activity unit in Austrian schools, with a focus on children and adolescents up to eighth grade. The HIA methodology systematically followed several stages: screening and scoping, appraisal, and formulation of recommendations. A literature review, an online survey (n = 712), focus group discussions (n = 4), and appraisal workshops (n = 2) have been carried out. The analyzed results indicate a primarily positive impact on the individual health of children and adolescents, on social and community-related networks, on living and working conditions, and on the system level. Recommendations for the implementation include ensuring equal opportunities and support for disadvantaged children and schools. Furthermore, the comprehensible selection of pilot regions and the nationwide resource planning should be considered. Additional important factors include the education and further training of pedagogical staff and coaches, and the availability of sufficient infrastructure. In the long term, the fixed integration of five additional teaching units of physical activity per week, and an increased focus on the elementary/nursery school sector were identified as significant.

Background: The early diagnosis of cognitive impairments is an important step in the adequate management of dementia. The project “Smart Cognition & Behaviour Screening powered by Augmented Reality” (SCOBES-AR) aims to develop a multimodal screening tool (MST) for the early detection of cognitive impairments using augmented and virtual reality. The first project phase selected validated assessments for combination with the MST and tested it in 300 healthy older adults. Objective: This study established a protocol for the implementation and usability of a mixed reality (MR)–enhanced multidisciplinary screening tool for the early detection of cognitive impairments in older adults. The developed MST will be partially enhanced by MR, which is a combination of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). This MR-enhanced prototype of the screening tool (MR-MST) will be tested and compared to the previously developed MST. The usability of the prototype will also be examined. Methods: This single-center observational crossover design study screens 100 healthy participants (aged 60-75 years) for cognitive decline using a specially developed MST (assessment of cognitive functions, olfactory sensitivity, nutritional preferences, gait parameters, reaction times, and activities of daily living) and an MR-enhanced MST in which the assessments of cognitive functions, reaction time, activities of daily living, and gait will be performed using tailor-made software and AR and VR hardware. The results of the MR-enhanced MST will be compared to those without MR. The usability of the developed MR-enhanced MST will be tested on 10 investigators and 10 test participants using observed summative evaluation and the codiscovery method, and on 2 usability experts using the codiscovery and cognitive walkthrough methods. Results: This study was funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (grant 866873) and received approval from the ethics committee of the Medical University of Graz. The MR-MST and the experimental protocol for this study were developed. All participants gave written informed consent. As of July 15, 2022, a total of 70 participants have been screened. Data analysis and dissemination are scheduled for completion by September 2023. Conclusions: The development and testing of the MR-MST is an important step toward the establishment of the best practice procedure for the implementation of AR and VR in the screening of cognitive declines in older adults. It will help improve our knowledge of the usability and applicability of the developed prototype and promote further advancement in AR and VR technologies to be used in therapeutic settings. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/39513

Background: Early experiences with different flavors play an important role in infant development, including food and taste acceptance. Flavors are already perceived in utero with the development of the taste and olfactory system and are passed on to the child through breast and bottle feeding. Therefore, the first 1000 days of life are considered a critical window for infant developmental programming. Objective: The objective of our study is to investigate, both in the prenatal and postnatal period, taste sensitivity, preferences, and dietary diversity of mother-infant pairs. The explorative study design will also report on the impact of these variables on body composition (BC) and biomarkers. In contrast to conventional methods, this study involves long-term follow-up data collection from mother-infant pairs; moreover, the integration of audiovisual tools for recording infants' expressions pertaining to taste stimuli is a novelty of this study. Considering these new methodological approaches, the study aims to assess taste-related data in conjunction with BC parameters like fat-free mass or fat mass, biomarkers, and nutritional intake in infants and children. Methods: Healthy pregnant women aged between 18 and 50 years (BMI >= 18.5 kg/m(2) to <= 30 kg/m(2); <28 weeks of gestation) were recruited from January 2014 to October 2014. The explorative design implies 2 center visits during pregnancy (24-28 weeks of gestation and 32-34 weeks of gestation) and 2 center visits after delivery (6-8 weeks postpartum and 14-16 weeks postpartum) as well as follow-up visits at 1, 3-3.5, and 6 years after delivery. Data collection encompasses anthropometric and biochemical measurements as well as BC analyses with air displacement plethysmography, taste perception assessments, and multicomponent questionnaires on demographics, feeding practices, and nutritional and lifestyle behaviors. Audiovisual data from infants' reactions to sensory stimuli are collected and coded by trained staff using Baby Facial Action Coding and the Body Action Posture System. Birth outcomes and weight development are obtained from medical records, and additional qualitative data are gathered from 24 semistructured interviews. Results: Our cohort represents a homogenous group of healthy women with stringent exclusion criteria. A total of 54 women met the eligibility criteria, whereas 47 mother-child pairs completed data collection at 4 center visits during and after pregnancy. Follow-up phases, data analyses, and dissemination of the findings are scheduled for the end of 2023. The study was approved by the ethics committee of the Medical University of Graz (EC No 26-066 ex 13/14), and all participants provided informed consent. Conclusions: The results of this study could be useful for elucidating the connections between maternal and infant statuses regarding diet, taste, biomarkers, and prenatal and postnatal weight development. This study may also be relevant to the establishment of further diagnostic and interventional strategies targeting childhood obesity and early body fat development.

Die steigende Prävalenz von Adipositas ist eine der größten Public-Health-Herausforderungen, die Gesundheitssysteme weltweit zu bewältigen haben. Obwohl die Entstehung von Adipositas ein multifaktorieller Prozess ist, gibt es Hinweise darauf, dass bei Übergewichtigen eine Veränderung von Geschmackswahrnehmung und Geschmackspräferenzen stattfindet. Dadurch kann es zu einer veränderten Nahrungsmittelauswahl kommen, die sich auf die Entstehung von Adipositas auswirken kann. Die gesundheitsorientierte Sensorik untersucht den Zusammenhang zwischen Adipositas, Nahrungsmittelauswahl und veränderten Geschmackspräferenzen. Bereits im frühen Kindesalter (prä- und postnatal) entwickeln sich Muster der Geruchs- und Geschmackswahrnehmung. Inwieweit sich eine bestehende maternale Präferenz und/oder veränderte Geschmackswahrnehmung für Lebensmittel mit hohem Zucker- und/oder Fettgehalt auf die Geschmackspräferenz bei Säuglingen und damit auf die spätere Nahrungsmittelauswahl des Kindes auswirkt, ist noch nicht ausreichend geklärt. Im laufenden Pilotprojekt des Health Perception Labs werden daher sensorische Methoden entwickelt, um mögliche Verbindungen zwischen dem Essverhalten der Mutter und den Nahrungsvorlieben der Kinder herstellen zu können.

Background: Pregnancy is often seen as an opportunity for women to transition to a health-promoting lifestyle but maintaining healthy habits can be challenging in the postpartum period. This study aims to explore women's experiences with lifestyle changes related to diet, physical activity, mental health, and social health one year after delivery. Methods: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews with women one year postpartum (n = 24; mean age 33.58 ± 0.88; mean BMI (kg/m2) 23.18 ± 3.09) recruited through a longitudinal study in Austria were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach was used to analyze the data. Results: Five overarching themes related to the research question emerged, including ‘social relationships and partnership,’ ‘responsibilities, stressors, and time,’ ‘diet, exercise, and sleep patterns,’ ‘mental illness,’ and ‘family and external support.’ Women's views on lifestyle changes reflect the diversity of different personalities and life circumstances. However, the results suggest that women find it difficult to transfer their good intentions from pregnancy to postpartum behavior, regardless of their initial motivation. Conclusions: This study highlights the need for individualized health supports that provide flexibility, such as telehealth, to address nutrition, psychological and physiological changes, feelings of distress, and lack of support. Health professionals and support systems can provide targeted, evidence-based interventions and support for this population by understanding how the transition to motherhood affects mothers’ lifestyles and health habits. Overall, the study provides valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities that mothers face postpartum and can inform the development of evidence-based interventions to promote their health and well-being. Key messages: • There is a need for individualized health support (e.g. telehealth) that provides flexibility in the postpartum period for maintaining a health-promoting lifestyle. • Understanding postpartum transition enables health professionals and support systems to provide evidence-based interventions for maternal well-being.