The nutrition transition and agricultural transformation: a Preston curve approach

The nutrition transition in diets and health is closely tied to other aspects of economic development, including agricultural transformation and urbanization as well as demographic change and epidemiological transition from infectious to noncommunicable disease. Over time, dietary patterns typically shift from widespread inadequacy of many foods and nutrients, especially for children and mothers, into surplus energy intake and rising obesity with continued inadequacy of healthier foods. Diet‐related diseases remain the largest single cause of premature death and disability in all regions. This article combines food availability and dietary intake data from more than 100 countries over 30 years with a wide range of other evidence to characterize the nutrition transition and its association with changes in agricultural production and the food environment, asking how future dietary patterns might be steered toward healthier outcomes as national incomes grow.     

On the size distortion of tests after an overidentifying restrictions pretest

In the linear instrumental variables model, we provide theoretical and Monte Carlo evidence for the size distortion of a two‐stage hypothesis test that uses a test of overidentifying restrictions (OR) in the first stage. We derive a lower bound for the asymptotic size of the two‐stage test. The lower bound is given by the asymptotic size of a test that rejects the null hypothesis when two conditions are met: the test of OR used in the first stage does not reject and the test in the second stage rejects. This lower bound can be as large as 1 ? ε_P, where ε_P is the pretest nominal size, for a parameter space that allows for local non‐exogeneity of the instruments but rules out weak instruments. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Swimming lessons,swimming ability,and the risk of drowning

Drowning is a leading cause of injury related death in many countries. Strategies to prevent these deaths depend upon characteristics of the victim and the specific circumstances surrounding the event. One preventive strategy that may be beneficial for persons of all ages and under nearly all circumstances is increased swimming ability, through some form of swimming instruction. However, a clear protective relationship between increased swimming ability and the risk of drowning has never been demonstrated. Studies focused on children, suggest that swimming ability may confer some protection, although the data are far from conclusive. This paper (1) reviews the current evidence regarding the relationship between swimming ability, swimming lessons and the risk of drowning, (2) reviews the past and present recommendations for swimming instruction and (3) outlines future research needs.     

Adolescents as victims of familial violence: a hospital based surveillance

Adolescent abuse is an important and understudied issue in society. The objective of this study was to examine the epidemiology of physical injuries due to maltreatment among adolescents aged 10-19 years. Subjects came from seven hospitals/trauma centres in Washington DC that were involved in the Washington DC Initiative to Reduce Infant Mortality and Prevention of Childhood Injuries Study. From 1996-1998, information was gathered about all injuries to adolescents aged 10-19 years that resulted in a visit to a participating emergency department. This paper focuses on the subset 178 adolescents aged 10-19 years who presented with physical injuries due to maltreatment. It was found that 55% of victims of abuse were female. Abuse victims were more likely to be female than those with unintentional injury. The most common injuries were contusions to the extremities (29%). Mothers were the most common perpetrators (48%). A total of 64% of victims were assaulted with an object/weapon and the most common object used was a belt. There are some similarities and some important differences between patterns of maltreatment in adolescents vs. younger children. Increased awareness of maltreatment among older children is a critical step in increasing and improving screening and prevention practices among health-care professionals.