Using the Mood Disorder Questionnaire and Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale to Detect Bipolar Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder Among Eating Disorder Patients.

Using the mood disorder questionnaire and bipolar spectrum diagnostic scale to detect bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder among eating disorder patients.

BMC Psychiatry. 2013 Feb 25; 13(1): 69
Nagata T, Yamada H, Teo AR, Yoshimura C, Kodama Y, van Vliet I

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Screening scales for bipolar disorder including the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) and Bipolar Spectrum Diagnostic Scale (BSDS) have been plagued by high false positive rates confounded by presence of borderline personality disorder. This study examined the accuracy of these scales for detecting bipolar disorder among patients referred for eating disorders and explored the possibility of simultaneous assessment of co-morbid borderline personality disorder. METHODS: Participants were 78 consecutive female patients who were referred for evaluation of an eating disorder. All participants completed the mood and eating disorder sections of the SCID-I/P and the borderline personality disorder section of the SCID-II, in addition to the MDQ and BSDS. Predictive validity of the MDQ and BSDS was evaluated by Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis of the Area Under the Curve (AUC). RESULTS: Fifteen (19%) and twelve (15%) patients fulfilled criteria for bipolar II disorder and borderline personality disorder, respectively. The AUCs for bipolar II disorder were 0.78 (MDQ) and 0.78 (BDSD), and the AUCs for borderline personality disorder were 0.75 (MDQ) and 0.79 (BSDS). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients being evaluated for eating disorders, the MDQ and BSDS show promise as screening questionnaires for both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. HubMed – eating

Birth and developmental correlates of birth weight in a sample of children with potential sensory processing disorder.

BMC Pediatr. 2013 Feb 25; 13(1): 29
Gill SV, May-Benson TA, Teasdale A, Munsell EG

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Most research examining birth history (i.e. related birth complications) and developmental milestone achievement follow outcomes for infants at-risk with very specific birth weight categories and gestational age classifications. The purpose of this study was to examine how birth weight relates to infants’ birth histories and developmental milestone achievement when they fall into a variety of birth weight and gestational age categories. METHODS: In the current study, we examined birth histories and onset ages for developmental milestones by analyzing a convenience sample of anonymous existing data from 663 developmental histories completed by parents at the time of an initial evaluation at a pediatric outpatient occupational therapy clinic. Infants fell into 3 birth weight categories; low birth weight (LBW), normal birth weight (NBW), and high birth weight (HBW) and 3 gestational age classifications considered with birth weight; small for gestational age (SGA), appropriate for gestational age (AGA), and large for gestational age (LGA). RESULTS: NBW, AGA, and SGA infants with related birth complications had lower birth weights than infants without birth complications. Larger birth weights were associated with earlier ages for independent sitting for HBW infants, earlier ages for eating solids for NBW infants, and earlier walking onsets for LBW and NBW infants. Higher birth weights were also linked with rolling at a younger age for LGA infants, earlier walking and speaking words for AGA infants, and sooner independent sitting for SGA and AGA infants. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that birth weight and gestational age categories provide unique insights into infants’ birth history and developmental milestone achievement. HubMed – eating

Nutritional knowledge in an Italian population of children, pre-adolescents and adolescents.

Public Health Nutr. 2013 Feb 27; 1-7
Tallarini A, Zabeo A, Ferraretto A

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate general knowledge about nutrition in an Italian population of children, pre-adolescents and adolescents. DESIGN: Knowledge about nutrition-related items such as healthy eating, breakfast, snacks, fast food, beverages, fruits and vegetables, cereals and tubers, meat/fish/legumes/eggs, milk and dairy products, fats and dressings, and sweets was analysed by means of a self-administered questionnaire (QuesCA IT) containing thirty-one questions, that was translated and adapted from a Swiss version (QuesCA) previously used in Geneva and Vaud. SETTING: North of Italy (Bergamo, Milan). SUBJECTS: Students (n 614) belonging to two different age groups: 9-11 years (GR1) and 12-16 years (GR2). RESULTS: Data analysis showed that nutritional knowledge varied in relation to the age of the participants, increasing in particular in the older group, although this difference was not statistically significant for all the considered items. Nutritional knowledge also varied in relation to the gender of the participants, with females in particular seeming to possess better cognition. For each age group there was poor knowledge about the items healthy diet, snacks, milk and dairy products, meat/fish/legumes/eggs, and fats and dressings. Moreover, the percentage of participants who declared own knowledge as insufficient was higher in GR2 compared with GR1. CONCLUSIONS: The present research demonstrates a lack of knowledge about the main concepts of healthy nutrition both in the youngest and oldest participants of the survey. This evidence, together with the presence of higher self-consciousness in GR2, should be taken into account in specific educational interventions during the school period. HubMed – eating

Correlates of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Breast Cancer Stage in the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living Study.

Nutr Cancer. 2013 Feb; 65(2): 188-94
Jacobs ET, Thomson CA, Flatt SW, Newman VA, Rock CL, Pierce JP

Inverse associations between circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and breast cancer stage have been reported, thus it is critical to understand the variables that contribute to 25(OH)D levels among women with breast cancer. Among 904 women in the Women’s Healthy Eating and Living Study, plasma 25(OH)D concentrations were measured and data on demographic characteristics, diet, physical activity, and tumor characteristics were collected at study entry. Statistically significant associations with 25(OH)D concentrations were observed for body mass index (BMI), body surface area (BSA), height, smoking, total vitamin D intake, physical activity, and race or ethnicity. Of the correlates of 25(OH)D, BMI, BSA, height, physical activity, and study site were associated with stage of breast cancer; however, concentrations of 25(OH)D were not significantly related to stage. In fully adjusted logistic regression models, the ORs (95% CIs) for the association between vitamin D deficiency and Stage II and III cancers were 0.85 (0.59-1.22) and 1.23 (0.71-2.15), respectively (P trend = 0.59), compared to Stage I. This study confirms previous work regarding the correlates of 25(OH)D concentrations but does not provide support for an association between vitamin D status and breast cancer stage. HubMed – eating