Publications by authors named "Kara D Denstel"

Background: The goal of the PROPEL-IT study is to conduct an effectiveness-implementation (hybrid type 1) study to 1) test the effectiveness of a digital technology focused 24-month, patient-centered precision public health approach to weight-loss, facilitated by an electronic medical record (EMR) in Black patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus or prediabetes, and 2) better understand the external validity and context for implementation.

Methods: Patients in the Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (ILI) participate in a high-intensity behavioral intervention to facilitate weight loss through reducing dietary intake and increasing physical activity. The ILI is delivered by health coaches in the digital medicine program of a large health care organization facilitated by the patient portal of their EMR.

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Background: Low income and low health literacy are associated with poorer health knowledge, health behaviors and poor health outcomes. The effectiveness of health literacy-directed weight loss treatment interventions in primary care clinics is lacking.

Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct a pragmatic cluster-randomized trial (PROmoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary CarE in Louisiana ([PROPEL]) to test the effectiveness of a 24-month, patient-centered, literacy-directed obesity treatment program delivered within primary care in an underserved population.

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Rationale: Short-term weight loss is possible in a variety of settings. However, long-term, free-living weight loss maintenance following structured weight loss interventions remains elusive.

Objective: The purpose was to study body weight trajectories over 2 years of intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) and up to 4 years of follow-up versus usual care (UC).

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Objective: Studies have consistently shown that African American individuals lose less weight in response to behavioral interventions, but the mechanisms leading to this result have been understudied.

Methods: Data were derived from the PROmoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary CarE in Louisiana (PROPEL) study, which was a cluster-randomized, two-arm trial conducted in primary care clinics. In the PROPEL trial, African American individuals lost less weight compared with patients who belonged to other racial groups after 24 months.

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Background: Disadvantaged neighborhood environments are a source of chronic stress which undermines optimal adolescent health. This study investigated relationships between the neighborhood social environment, specifically, chronic stress exposures, adiposity, and cardiometabolic disease risk factors among 288 Louisiana adolescents aged 10 to 16 years.

Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized baseline data from the Translational Investigation of Growth and Everyday Routines in Kids (TIGER Kids) study.

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Objective: This study tested whether initial weight change (WC), self-weighing, and adherence to the expected WC trajectory predict longer-term WC in an underserved primary-care population with obesity.

Methods: Data from the intervention group (n = 452; 88% women; 74% Black; BMI 37.3 kg/m [SD: 4.

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Background: Currently there are limited data as to whether dietary intake can be improved during pragmatic weight loss interventions in primary care in underserved individuals.

Methods: Patients with obesity were recruited into the PROPEL trial, which randomized 18 clinics to either an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) or usual care (UC). At baseline and months 6, 12, and 24, fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake and fat intake was determined.

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Objective: To collect qualitative data on approaches that can potentially reduce barriers to, and create strategies for, increasing SARS-CoV-2 testing uptake in underserved Black communities in Louisiana.

Methods: A series of eight focus groups, including 41 participants, were conducted in primarily Black communities. The Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was used to determine perceptions of COVID-19 as a disease, access to testing, and barriers limiting testing uptake.

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The purpose of this study was to determine the association between changes in physical activity and changes in body weight in a cluster-randomized weight loss trial conducted in an underserved population in Louisiana. This study reports analyses conducted in the intervention group only, which was a 24-month multi-component weight loss program delivered by health coaches embedded in primary care clinics. Physical activity was assessed at baseline and at 6, 12, and 24 months of follow-up and changes in body weight were expressed as percent weight change from baseline.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated how intensive lifestyle interventions (ILIs) affected weight loss in underserved patients with obesity, comparing the results to those receiving usual care (UC).
  • - Results showed that the ILI led to significant weight loss at 12 months, with behavioral factors like reduced disinhibition and improved physical activity contributing to this difference, though some weight was regained by 24 months.
  • - No specific behavioral changes were found to prevent weight regain in the ILI group, indicating the need for ongoing support for long-term weight management in these patients.
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Background/objectives: Pragmatic trials are increasingly used to study the implementation of weight loss interventions in real-world settings. This study compared researcher-measured body weights versus electronic medical record (EMR)-derived body weights from a pragmatic trial conducted in an underserved patient population.

Subjects/methods: The PROPEL trial randomly allocated 18 clinics to usual care (UC) or to an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) designed to promote weight loss.

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The aim of this study was to compute intra-class correlations (ICCs) for weight-related and patient-reported outcomes in a cluster randomized clinical trial (cRCT) for weight loss. Baseline and follow-up data from the Promoting Successful Weight Loss in Primary Care in Louisiana (PROPEL) cRCT were used in this analysis. ICCs were computed for baseline and follow-up measures, and changes in body weight, cardiometabolic risk factors and health-related and weight-related quality of life at 6, 12, 18 and 24 months.

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Objective: Determine whether an individual is at greater risk of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection because of their community or their individual risk factors.

Study Design And Setting: 4,752 records from two large prevalence studies in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana were used to assess whether zip code tabulation areas (ZCTA)-level area deprivation index (ADI) or individual factors accounted for risk of infection. Logistic regression models assessed associations of individual-level demographic and socioeconomic factors and the zip code-level ADI with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

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Introduction: The present study examined the relationships between bullying victimization experiences, body esteem (BE), and body dissatisfaction (BD) by obesity status.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, adolescents (10-16y) from the U.S.

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Background: Intensive lifestyle interventions (ILIs) are the first-line approach to effectively treat obesity and manage associated cardiometabolic risk factors. Because few people have access to ILIs in academic health centers, primary care must implement similar approaches for a meaningful effect on obesity and cardiometabolic disease prevalence. To date, however, effective lifestyle-based obesity treatment in primary care is limited.

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Background: Evidence of the effectiveness of treatment for obesity delivered in primary care settings in underserved populations is lacking.

Methods: We conducted a cluster-randomized trial to test the effectiveness of a high-intensity, lifestyle-based program for obesity treatment delivered in primary care clinics in which a high percentage of the patients were from low-income populations. We randomly assigned 18 clinics to provide patients with either an intensive lifestyle intervention, which focused on reduced caloric intake and increased physical activity, or usual care.

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A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used to understand parenting practices for outdoor play, their influence on adolescent's physical activity and outdoor play and the role of the neighborhood and child's sex. Adolescents (n = 263) and their parents completed questionnaires and wore accelerometers. Parents (n = 30) participated in in-depth interviews.

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Background: Investigating the association of the neighborhood social environment on physical activity is complex. A systematic scoping review was performed to (1) provide an inventory of studies assessing the influence of the neighborhood social environment on physical activity since 2006; (2) describe methodologies employed; and (3) formulate recommendations for the field.

Methods: Two databases were searched using terms related to 'physical activity,' 'neighborhood,' and 'social environment' in January 2017.

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Understanding factors that influence parenting decisions for outdoor play is necessary to promote physical activity during critical years for adolescent adjustment. This study explored physical and social environmental influences on parenting decisions and rules for their child's outdoor play using semistructured in-depth interviews with parents ( = 30, 29 of whom were mothers) of adolescents. Mothers from low- ( = 16) and high-disadvantage ( = 13) neighborhood environments were recruited to identify environmental factors that resulted in parenting decisions that either promoted or hindered outdoor play and identify differences across neighborhood types.

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Background: Existing research has documented inconsistent findings for the associations among breakfast frequency, physical activity (PA), and sedentary time in children. The primary aim of this study was to examine the associations among breakfast frequency and objectively-measured PA and sedentary time in a sample of children from 12 countries representing a wide range of human development, economic development and inequality. The secondary aim was to examine interactions of these associations between study sites.

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Unlabelled: Underserved and minority populations suffer from a disproportionately high prevalence of obesity and related comorbidities. Effective obesity treatment programs delivered in primary care that produce significant weight loss are currently lacking. The purpose of this trial is to test the effectiveness of a pragmatic, high intensity lifestyle-based obesity treatment program delivered within primary care among an underserved population.

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Background: The 2016 United States (U.S.) Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth provides a comprehensive evaluation of physical activity levels and factors influencing physical activity among children and youth.

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Multilevel health research often focuses on a singular dimension of the neighborhood environment in relation to individual-level health behaviors (e.g., diet, physical activity) and outcomes (e.

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