Pediatric Guideline Recommended Blood Pressure Screening: Health Record Data from a Massachusetts Healthcare System
Childhood high blood pressure (BP) is associated with adult cardiovascular disease, and therefore is increasingly seen as a critical public health issue. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued clinical practice guidelines in 2017 recommending regular blood pressure (BP) screening in children and more frequent screenings for children at increased risk due to conditions such as obesity. Although in general these BP screening guidelines were followed, important differences were found at both the child and clinic levels related to social factors.

Pediatric Guideline Recommended Blood Pressure Follow-up: Health Record Data from a Massachusetts Healthcare System
An estimated 1 in 30 children in the United States have hypertension (high blood pressure), and 1 in 12 children in the US are affected by elevated blood pressure. These conditions put children at increased risk for developing hypertension and cardiovascular disease as adults. Diagnosis of elevated blood pressure and hypertension is based on high readings at 3 time points, therefore following up after the first high reading is important. In 2017, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued guidelines for clinicians recommending regular blood pressure screening and follow-up, the extent to which these guidelines are followed in clinical practice was unknown.

Association Between Poor Sleep Quality, Emotional Eating and Emotions Among Latinx Adults in the United States 
US Latinx adults are more likely to have poor sleep quality than non-Latino white adults. Poor sleep is linked with negative emotions such as feeling depressed, stressed, and anxious. These negative emotions are known to trigger emotional eating. However, we don’t know if there is an association between poor sleep quality and emotional eating among US Latinx adults, or whether having negative emotions explains this association. 

Looking at Eating Behaviors and Food Eaten in Puerto Rico
A large percentage of the sample experienced dysfunctional eating behaviors. Emotional eating and cognitive restraint were associated with the types of food that participants chose to eat. Research is needed to understand how these associations are related to health in Puerto Rico.

Association Among Emotional Eating, Overeating, and Eating High-calorie Foods in Latinos
Latinos are more likely to be obese than non-Latino whites. Overeating or eating too much is a major contributor to obesity. Emotional eating, such as eating because of feeling anxious or sad, is also linked with obesity and with eating high-calorie foods (energy-dense foods) such as cookies, ice cream and pizza. In this Latino sample, emotional eating was linked with higher chances of overeating. The consumption of high-calorie foods explained this association.

Sedentary Behavior and Risk of Heart Disease Among Latinos 
Heart disease, or cardiovascular disease (CVD), is the leading cause of death in the United States. Latinos have higher rates of CVD and its risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, inactivity, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Sitting for long periods of time (sedentariness) is linked with the development of these risk factors, even if a person is physically active at other points in the day. Although sedentariness has been linked with increasing the risk for CVD among primarily White populations, studies among Latinos have shown mixed results. In this sample of Latino adults, sitting was related to obesity. It was not related to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, or physical activity.

Eating Patterns and Risk of Heart Disease Among Latinos
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States, and Latinos are at high risk of developing CVD. They have higher rates of some metabolic risk factors, such as obesity and diabetes. Dysfunctional eating patterns may influence these risk factors. This is the first study to look at dysfunctional eating patterns among Latinos, and the relationship with risk factors for CVD. The specific eating patterns examined were Emotional Eating (EE), or eating in response to emotions, not hunger cues; Uncontrolled Eating (UE), or eating when not hungry, or losing control of eating; and Cognitive Restraint (CR), or restricting food to lose or control weight. This study found that among Latinos, dysfunctional eating patterns were associated with increasing the odds of having metabolic risk factors for heart disease, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.

Spirituality and Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior among Latino Men and Women in Massachusetts
Latinos in the United States have high rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Even though people can reduce their risk of developing these conditions by moving more and sitting less, almost 60% of Latino adults are not physically active for more than 150 minutes a week as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. Research also shows that they spend up to 74% of waking hours engaged in sedentary behaviors such as sitting while watching TV, using a computer, or driving/riding a car, bus, or train. Given the link between spirituality and general health in Latinos, we may be able to help this population move more and sit less by learning more about their spirituality. In this study, people who are more spiritual are also less sedentary. This association was stronger in men than women.

Impact of Race-Related Vigilance on Obesity Status Among African Americans
Nearly half (48%) of African-Americans are obese, which is higher than all other racial/ethnic groups. This is important because obesity is linked with poorer health, such as hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. A lot of research has looked for ways to explain why more African-Americans are obese, such as differences in physical activity, food choices, socioeconomic status, and food insecurity. So far, there is no clear explanation. African Americans in the U.S. still experience racial discrimination and racism. Racism is a type of on-going stress. Race-related vigilance, or thinking about one’s race frequently, was a risk factor for obesity in African-Americans in this study.

Differences in the Foods that Urban Older Black and White Women Buy and Eat 
As women age, it is important for them to eat healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products, and to limit foods with sodium, sugar, and saturated fat. A healthy diet can help them to maintain weight, health and independent living, and prevent chronic conditions and disabilities. Older Americans increasingly have a poor diet, and women who are Black are more likely to suffer from diabetes, heart disease, and strokes than women who are White. This study seeks to understand both the personal reasons for choosing different foods, as well as the how neighborhoods may affect their diet and levels of physical activity. In this study, there were many differences in foods that White and Black older women purchase and eat.

Overweight and Obesity Rates Are Improving Among Massachusetts Public Schools but Not Among Those in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Districts
Childhood obesity is associated with many chronic diseases, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and sleep apnea. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that the body mass index (BMI) of children should be tracked over time, and the Institute of Medicine recommends that school systems track BMI. Since 2009, Massachusetts responded to these recommendations by measuring the BMI of children in grades 1, 4, 7, and 10. Community-based prevention programs should specifically target children in elementary schools in economically disadvantaged communities.

Characteristics of Neighbhorhoods that Influence the Physical Activity of Latino Adults in Massachusetts
Latinos in the United States have high rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Moving more and sitting less can help people reduce their risk of developing these conditions. The Latino adults in this study were likely to meet the physical activity guidelines of walking more than 150 minutes per week if the neighborhood was more walkable, such as with sidewalks. Adults were more sedentary if they did more things with neighbors. It is important to note that the study did not find that there was an association between the physical characteristics of a neighborhood and time spent sitting.