Introduction: Preschool age is a critical period for learning healthy habits and, in the face of ... more Introduction: Preschool age is a critical period for learning healthy habits and, in the face of technological advances, innovative ways to improve health have emerged. This study aims to compare interventions that use Information and Communication Technologies tools in comparison with traditional approaches, targeted to parents, to improve healthy diet and weight in preschoolers. Specifically, to know its effectiveness, which tools have been used and the main success factors in the interventions. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, SpringerLink and Cochrane Library databases. The protocol was registered (PROSPERO ID. CRD42021251037). Intervention studies to promote healthy diet and weight in preschoolers and one or both parents were included. The authors assessed risk of bias separately assigning scores with specific tools such as PRISMA or CONSORT. The results were synthesized in Excel tables according to the results s...
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among spirituality, self-esteem and pa... more The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among spirituality, self-esteem and participation in physical activity among late adolescent and young adult females. Pender's (2015) Health Promotion Model served as the theoretical framework from which four hypotheses were derived: 1) Spirituality will have a positive relationship to participation in physical activity among late adolescent and young adult female respondents; 2) Spirituality will have a positive relationship to self-esteem among late adolescent and young adult female respondents; 3) Self-esteem will have a positive relationship to participation in physical activity among late adolescent and young adult female respondents; 4) Self-esteem will intervene on the relationship between spirituality and participation in physical activity among late adolescent and young adult female respondents. Secondary analysis of publically available data from Wave III of The iii National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) was conducted. Tobit regression was used to test each of the hypotheses. Hypotheses one and four were supported. A statistically significant inverse relationship was found between spirituality and self-esteem, this was the opposite of the direction indicated by hypothesis two. While an inverse relationship was indicated between self-esteem and participation in physical activity, the finding was not statistically significant. The findings of this study support the inclusion of mental health measures such as self-esteem when exploring the relationship between spirituality and physical activity. Further, this study reflects the complexities of the relationships among spirituality, self-esteem, and participation in physical activity. Finally, these findings may be used to support multifaceted, collaborative, and holistic interventions to increase physical activity rates among late adolescent and young adult females.
Retinol, the alcohol form of vitamin A is a key dietary component that plays a critical role in v... more Retinol, the alcohol form of vitamin A is a key dietary component that plays a critical role in vertebrate development, cell differentiation, reproduction, vision and immune system. Natural and synthetic analogs of retinol, called retinoids, have generally been associated with the cell differentiation via retinoic acid which is the most potent metabolite of retinol. However, a direct function of retinol has not been fully investigated. New evidence has now emerged that retinol supports the self-renewal of stem cells including embryonic stem cells (ESCs), germ line stem cells (GSCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) by activating the endogenous machinery for self-renewal by a retinoic acid independent mechanism. The studies have also revealed that stem cells do not contain enzymes that are responsible for metabolizing retinol into retinoic acid. This new function of retinol may have important implications for stem cell biology which can be exploited for quantitative production of pure population of pluripotent stem cells for regenerative medicine as well as clinical applications for cancer therapeutics.
Purpose: To verify and explicate the impact of marianismo beliefs on the physical activity behavi... more Purpose: To verify and explicate the impact of marianismo beliefs on the physical activity behaviors of immigrant Latinas. Design/Method: Twenty-eight immigrant Latinas, aged 18 to 40 years, were recruited to participate in two focus group interviews. Data collection and analysis were driven by Spradley’s Developmental Research Sequence. Results: Two domain terms were identified: “Life is too fast here” and “The woman is the center of the family.” Six included terms and five cultural themes were specified. Discussion/Conclusions: A combination of marianismo beliefs, acculturation stress, loss of social support, and conflicts between collectivist and individualist values combine to adversely influence physical activity behaviors of immigrant Latinas. Implications for Practice: Physical activity interventions for Hispanic women should capitalize on the strengths of the marianista, address factors leading to acculturation stress among women and their families, and establish bridges of ...
Objetivo: determinar si factores sociales como las condiciones de vivienda, la satisfacción con l... more Objetivo: determinar si factores sociales como las condiciones de vivienda, la satisfacción con la casa, las características del vecindario, el apoyo social, las relaciones familiares y la asistencia a la iglesia contribuyen al desarrollo de la carga alostática en los adultos mayores. Materiales y método: se realizó un estudio correlacional y predictivo de corte transversal. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron una hoja de datos sociodemográficos, el instrumento de relaciones familiares percibidas, el cuestionario de Apoyo Social y la Escala de Movilidad Activa en el Entorno Comunitario, versión corta. Los biomarcadores de carga alostática utilizados fueron: presión arterial sistólica y diastólica, índice de masa corporal, circunferencia de la cintura, relación cintura-cadera, colesterol total, lipoproteína de alta densidad, hemoglobina glicosilada, fibrinógeno y proteína C-Reactiva. La muestra se calculó para para el contraste de la hipótesis de no relación (R2 = 0), en un modelo de ...
The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships among societal norms, exercise self... more The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships among societal norms, exercise self-efficacy and activity related affect on commitment to a plan of physical activity in a sample of low-income Hispanic women and their daughters. Theoretical propositions derived from the Health Promotion Model (Pender, 2011) were tested. The first hypothesis, which stated there would be a significant relationship between societal norms and commitment, was partially supported. The second hypothesis, which stated there would be a significant relationship between exercise self-efficacy and commitment, was partially supported. The third hypothesis, which stated there would be a significant relationship between related affect and commitment to a plan of physical activity, was partially supported. The fourth hypothesis, which stated there would be significant relationship between commitment to a plan of physical activity and participation in physical activity, was partially supported. The fift...
Objective: To determine if social factors, such as housing conditions, satisfaction with one's ho... more Objective: To determine if social factors, such as housing conditions, satisfaction with one's house, neighborhood characteristics, social support, family relations and church attendance affect allostatic load in older adults. Materials and method: A correlational-predictive, cross-sectional study was conducted. The instruments used were sociodemographic data, the perceived family relationships instrument, the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey and the abbreviated version of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale. The allostatic load biomarkers used were: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, glycated hemoglobin, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein. Sample size was estimated to contrast the no relation (R 2 = 0) hypotheis in a multiple lineal regression model with 11 covariables, with a significance level of .05, power of 90% (.90), when coefficient of determination (R 2) is .15, resulting in a sample of 131 older adults. The statistical analysis included descriptive measures and generalized linear models. Results: The participants had either medium-or high-risk allostatic load. Multivariate
Introduction: Preschool age is a critical period for learning healthy habits and, in the face of ... more Introduction: Preschool age is a critical period for learning healthy habits and, in the face of technological advances, innovative ways to improve health have emerged. This study aims to compare interventions that use Information and Communication Technologies tools in comparison with traditional approaches, targeted to parents, to improve healthy diet and weight in preschoolers. Specifically, to know its effectiveness, which tools have been used and the main success factors in the interventions. Methods: Following the PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted in the PubMed, Scopus, SpringerLink and Cochrane Library databases. The protocol was registered (PROSPERO ID. CRD42021251037). Intervention studies to promote healthy diet and weight in preschoolers and one or both parents were included. The authors assessed risk of bias separately assigning scores with specific tools such as PRISMA or CONSORT. The results were synthesized in Excel tables according to the results s...
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among spirituality, self-esteem and pa... more The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among spirituality, self-esteem and participation in physical activity among late adolescent and young adult females. Pender's (2015) Health Promotion Model served as the theoretical framework from which four hypotheses were derived: 1) Spirituality will have a positive relationship to participation in physical activity among late adolescent and young adult female respondents; 2) Spirituality will have a positive relationship to self-esteem among late adolescent and young adult female respondents; 3) Self-esteem will have a positive relationship to participation in physical activity among late adolescent and young adult female respondents; 4) Self-esteem will intervene on the relationship between spirituality and participation in physical activity among late adolescent and young adult female respondents. Secondary analysis of publically available data from Wave III of The iii National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) was conducted. Tobit regression was used to test each of the hypotheses. Hypotheses one and four were supported. A statistically significant inverse relationship was found between spirituality and self-esteem, this was the opposite of the direction indicated by hypothesis two. While an inverse relationship was indicated between self-esteem and participation in physical activity, the finding was not statistically significant. The findings of this study support the inclusion of mental health measures such as self-esteem when exploring the relationship between spirituality and physical activity. Further, this study reflects the complexities of the relationships among spirituality, self-esteem, and participation in physical activity. Finally, these findings may be used to support multifaceted, collaborative, and holistic interventions to increase physical activity rates among late adolescent and young adult females.
Retinol, the alcohol form of vitamin A is a key dietary component that plays a critical role in v... more Retinol, the alcohol form of vitamin A is a key dietary component that plays a critical role in vertebrate development, cell differentiation, reproduction, vision and immune system. Natural and synthetic analogs of retinol, called retinoids, have generally been associated with the cell differentiation via retinoic acid which is the most potent metabolite of retinol. However, a direct function of retinol has not been fully investigated. New evidence has now emerged that retinol supports the self-renewal of stem cells including embryonic stem cells (ESCs), germ line stem cells (GSCs) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) by activating the endogenous machinery for self-renewal by a retinoic acid independent mechanism. The studies have also revealed that stem cells do not contain enzymes that are responsible for metabolizing retinol into retinoic acid. This new function of retinol may have important implications for stem cell biology which can be exploited for quantitative production of pure population of pluripotent stem cells for regenerative medicine as well as clinical applications for cancer therapeutics.
Purpose: To verify and explicate the impact of marianismo beliefs on the physical activity behavi... more Purpose: To verify and explicate the impact of marianismo beliefs on the physical activity behaviors of immigrant Latinas. Design/Method: Twenty-eight immigrant Latinas, aged 18 to 40 years, were recruited to participate in two focus group interviews. Data collection and analysis were driven by Spradley’s Developmental Research Sequence. Results: Two domain terms were identified: “Life is too fast here” and “The woman is the center of the family.” Six included terms and five cultural themes were specified. Discussion/Conclusions: A combination of marianismo beliefs, acculturation stress, loss of social support, and conflicts between collectivist and individualist values combine to adversely influence physical activity behaviors of immigrant Latinas. Implications for Practice: Physical activity interventions for Hispanic women should capitalize on the strengths of the marianista, address factors leading to acculturation stress among women and their families, and establish bridges of ...
Objetivo: determinar si factores sociales como las condiciones de vivienda, la satisfacción con l... more Objetivo: determinar si factores sociales como las condiciones de vivienda, la satisfacción con la casa, las características del vecindario, el apoyo social, las relaciones familiares y la asistencia a la iglesia contribuyen al desarrollo de la carga alostática en los adultos mayores. Materiales y método: se realizó un estudio correlacional y predictivo de corte transversal. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron una hoja de datos sociodemográficos, el instrumento de relaciones familiares percibidas, el cuestionario de Apoyo Social y la Escala de Movilidad Activa en el Entorno Comunitario, versión corta. Los biomarcadores de carga alostática utilizados fueron: presión arterial sistólica y diastólica, índice de masa corporal, circunferencia de la cintura, relación cintura-cadera, colesterol total, lipoproteína de alta densidad, hemoglobina glicosilada, fibrinógeno y proteína C-Reactiva. La muestra se calculó para para el contraste de la hipótesis de no relación (R2 = 0), en un modelo de ...
The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships among societal norms, exercise self... more The purpose of this research was to examine the relationships among societal norms, exercise self-efficacy and activity related affect on commitment to a plan of physical activity in a sample of low-income Hispanic women and their daughters. Theoretical propositions derived from the Health Promotion Model (Pender, 2011) were tested. The first hypothesis, which stated there would be a significant relationship between societal norms and commitment, was partially supported. The second hypothesis, which stated there would be a significant relationship between exercise self-efficacy and commitment, was partially supported. The third hypothesis, which stated there would be a significant relationship between related affect and commitment to a plan of physical activity, was partially supported. The fourth hypothesis, which stated there would be significant relationship between commitment to a plan of physical activity and participation in physical activity, was partially supported. The fift...
Objective: To determine if social factors, such as housing conditions, satisfaction with one's ho... more Objective: To determine if social factors, such as housing conditions, satisfaction with one's house, neighborhood characteristics, social support, family relations and church attendance affect allostatic load in older adults. Materials and method: A correlational-predictive, cross-sectional study was conducted. The instruments used were sociodemographic data, the perceived family relationships instrument, the Medical Outcomes Study-Social Support Survey and the abbreviated version of the Neighborhood Environment Walkability Scale. The allostatic load biomarkers used were: systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, glycated hemoglobin, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein. Sample size was estimated to contrast the no relation (R 2 = 0) hypotheis in a multiple lineal regression model with 11 covariables, with a significance level of .05, power of 90% (.90), when coefficient of determination (R 2) is .15, resulting in a sample of 131 older adults. The statistical analysis included descriptive measures and generalized linear models. Results: The participants had either medium-or high-risk allostatic load. Multivariate
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Papers by Karen 'Alonzo