Prevalence of childhood obesity and its complications have increased world-wide. Parental status may be associated with children’s health outcomes including their eating habits, body weight and blood cholesterol. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for the years 1988–1994, provided a unique opportunity for matching parents to children enabling analyses of joint demographics, racial differences and health indicators. Specifically, the NHANES III data, 1988–1994, of 219 households with single-parents and 780 dual-parent households were analyzed as predictors for primary outcome variables of children’s Body Mass Index (BMI), dietary nutrient intakes and blood cholesterol. Children of single-parent households were significantly (p < 0.01) more overweight than children of dual-parent households. Total calorie and saturated fatty acid intakes were higher among children of single-parent households than dual-parent households (p < 0.05). On average, Black children were more overweight (p < 0.04) than children of other races. The study results implied a strong relationship between single-parent status and excess weight in children. Further studies are needed to explore the dynamics of single-parent households and its influence on childhood diet and obesity. Parental involvement in the development of school- and community-based obesity prevention programs are suggested for effective health initiatives. Economic constraints and cultural preferences may be communicated directly by family involvement in these much needed public health programs.

Background. Lack of adherence to dietary and physical activity guidelines has been linked to an increase in chronic diseases in the United States (US). The aim of this study was to assess the association of lifestyle behaviors with self-rated health (SRH).Methods. This cross-sectional study used self-reported data from Living for Health Program (N=1,701) which was conducted from 2008 to 2012 in 190 health fair events in South Florida, US.Results. Significantly higher percent of females as compared to males were classified as obese (35.4% versus 27.0%), reported poor/fair SRH (23.4% versus 15.0%), and were less physically active (33.9% versus 25.4%). Adjusted logistic regression models indicated that both females and males were more likely to report poor/fair SRH if they consumed≤2 servings of fruits and vegetables per day (OR=2.14, 95% CI 1.30–3.54;OR=2.86, 95% CI 1.12–7.35, resp.) and consumed mostly high fat foods (OR=1.58, 95% CI 1.03–2.43;OR=3.37, 95% CI 1.67–2.43, resp.). The association of SRH with less physical activity was only significant in females (OR=1.66, 95% CI 1.17–2.35).Conclusion. Gender differences in health behaviors should be considered in designing and monitoring lifestyle interventions to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Objective: To examine the relationship between dietary patterns, as measured by the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI), and 10-year predicted CHD risk in Cuban Americans with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D).Design: In a cross-sectional study participants were selected from two randomly generated mailing lists of individuals with and without T2D. HEI and AHEI scores were calculated from a self-reported FFQ. CHD risk was determined using the 10-year CHD risk calculator of the Adult Treatment Panel III.Setting: Miami Dade and Broward Counties, FL, USA.Subjects: Cuban Americans (n358) aged ≥30 years.Results: Participants with T2D had a higher waist circumference (P= 0·001) and 10-year CHD risk score (P= 0·008) compared with those without T2D. Participants without T2D had a higher energy intake (P= 0·034), total blood cholesterol (P= 0·007), HDL cholesterol (P= 0·001) and HEI score (P= 0·006) compared with participants with T2D. AHEI score was a significant predictor of 10-year CHD risk (F_(1,351)= 4·44,P= 0·036). An association between AHEI and 10-year CHD risk was found only for participants with T2D (β= −0·244,se= 0·049,P= 0·001).Conclusion: The present study showed that only participants with T2D with significantly higher AHEI scores had lower scores for 10-year predicted CHD risk. No association was found between HEI score and CHD risk among Cuban Americans. Individuals with T2D are advised to follow the AHEI dietary pattern.

Diabetes is a world-wide epidemic associated with multiple environmental factors. Prolonged television viewing (TV) time has been related to increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in several studies. TV viewing has been positively associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors, lower energy expenditure, over-eating high-calorie and high-fat foods. The objective of this study was to assess the associations of hours of TV viewing with dietary quality, obesity and physical activity for three ethnic minorities with and without type 2 diabetes. Diet quality and physical activity were inversely related to prolonged TV viewing. African Americans and participants with type 2 diabetes were more likely to watch more than 4 hours of TV per day as compared to their counterparts. Diet quality was inversely associated with physical activity level. Future studies are needed to establish the risk factors of prolonged TV watching in adult populations for the development of diabetes or diabetes-related complications. Although strategies to reduce TV watching have been proven effective among children, few trials have been conducted in adults. Intervention trials aimed at reducing TV viewing targeting people with type 2 diabetes may be beneficial to improve dietary quality and physical activity, which may reduce diabetes complications.

Ethnicities within Black populations have not been distinguished in most nutrition studies. We sought to examine dietary differences between African Americans (AA) and Haitian Americans (HA) with and without type 2 diabetes using the Healthy Eating Index, 2005 (HEI-05), and the Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). The design was cross-sectional N=471 (225 AA, 246 HA) and recruitment was by community outreach. The eating indices were calculated from data collected with the Harvard food-frequency questionnaire. African Americans had lower HEI-05 scores β=−10.9 (−8.67, 13.1); SE=1.12, P<.001 than HA. Haitian American females and AA males had higher AHEI than AA females and HA males, respectively, (P=.006) adjusting for age and education. Participants with diabetes had higher adherence to the HEI-05 β=3.90 (1.78, 6.01), SE=1.08, P<.001 and lower adherence to the AHEI β=−9.73 (16.3, −3.19), SE=3.33, P=.004, than participants without diabetes. The findings underscore the importance of disaggregating ethnicities and disease state when assessing diet.