Lea Maes
Biographic Data
| ID | 1725508 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Lea Maes |
| GIVEN NAMES | Lea |
| FAMILY NAME | Maes |
| SIGNATURE | MAES L |
| AFFILIATIONS | Ghent University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2909-6010 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 69 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 169 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 69 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2018 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Evaluation of a Brief Intervention for Promoting Mental Health among Employees in Social Enterprises
Evidence on the effectiveness of workplace mental health promotion for people with disabilities is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief mental health promotion intervention in social enterprises. It had a non-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial design with follow-up one and four months after the intervention. In total 196 employees agreed to participate (86 intervention and 110 control). Empowerment was the m…
Problem drinking among Flemish students
Numerous negative consequences, both personal and social, are related to frequent beer and spirits drinking. Our findings indicate a close association between drinking beer and personal negative consequences as well as between drinking beer and/or spirits and social negative consequences. Similarly, early drinking onset has a major influence on the rates of both personal and social negative consequences. The earlier students started drinking, the…
Feasibility and impact study of a reward-based mobile application to improve adolescents’ snacking habits
Objective Adolescents’ snacking habits are driven by both explicit reflective and implicit hedonic processes. Hedonic pathways and differences in sensitivity to food rewards in addition to reflective determinants should be considered. The present study evaluated the feasibility and impact of a mobile phone-delivered intervention, incorporating explicit reflective and implicit rewarding strategies, on adolescents’ snack intake. Design Adolescents …
The role of community social capital in the relationship between socioeconomic status and adolescent life satisfaction
The present findings suggest that community social capital acts as an unequal health resource for adolescents, but could potentially represent opportunities for public health policy to close the gap in socioeconomic disparities
Using a gamified monitoring app to change adolescents’ snack intake
NCT02622165 registrated November 15, 2015 on clinicaltrials.gov
Water intake and beverage consumption of pre-schoolers from six European countries and associations with socio-economic status
Objective To study the quantity and quality of water intake from beverages among pre-schoolers and investigate associations with gender and socio-economic status (SES). Design Kindergarten-based cross-sectional survey within the large-scale European ToyBox-study. A standardized protocol was used and parents/caregivers filled in sociodemographic data and a semi-quantitative FFQ. Setting Kindergartens in six European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, G…
Health promotion interventions in social economy companies in Flanders (Belgium)
Sheltered and social workshops are open to HP interventions, but more can be done to optimize the implementation. To persuade persons responsible for the implementation of HP to invest more in HP, changing attitudes concerning the benefits of health promotion for the employee and the company, is an important strategy
Individual and family environmental correlates of television and computer time in 10- to 12-year-old European children
Most evidence was found for an association between screen time and individual and parental social environmental factors, which means that future interventions aiming to reduce screen time should focus on children's individual beliefs and habits as well parental social factors. As we identified some different correlates for television and computer time and across countries, cross-European interventions could make small adaptations per specific scr…
Associations between parental rules, style of communication and children’s screen time
International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register, registration number: ISRCTN34562078 . Date applied29/07/2011, Date assigned11/10/2011
Are context-specific measures of parental-reported physical activity and sedentary behaviour associated with accelerometer data in 2–9-year-old European children
Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate if context-specific measures of parental-reported physical activity and sedentary behaviour are associated with objectively measured physical activity and sedentary time in children. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Seven European countries taking part in the IDEFICS (Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-induced Health Effects in Children and Infants) study. Subject…
Perceptions from mental health nurses about health promotion
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 2.913 (2021 JCR, received in June 2022)The IJIC 20th Anniversary Issue was published in 2021
The role of family-related factors in the effects of the UP4FUN school-based family-focused intervention targeting screen time in 10- to 12-year-old children
The study is registered in the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register (registration number: ISRCTN34562078)
Differences in beliefs and home environments regarding energy balance behaviors according to parental education and ethnicity among schoolchildren in Europe
Background: To explore differences in personal and home environmental factors that are regarded as determinants of energy balance-related behaviors (EBRBs) according to parental education and ethnic background among 10-12 year old schoolchildren across Europe. Methods: A school-based survey among 10-12 year olds was conducted in eight countries across Europe. A range of personal and home environment variables relevant for soft drink consumption, …
Evaluation of a real world intervention using professional football players to promote a healthy diet and physical activity in children and adolescents from a lower socio-economic background
The 'Health Scores!' intervention was successful in increasing psychosocial correlates of a healthy diet and PA. The use of professional football players as a credible source for health promotion was appealing to socially vulnerable children and adolescents
Agreement between parent and child report on parental practices regarding dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours
Parents and children perceive parental practices regarding dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours differently in all parts of Europe, with considerable variation across specific practices and countries. Therefore, future studies should assess both, parents and children's view on parental practices
Cost-effectiveness of health promotion targeting physical activity and healthy eating in mental health care
As far as is known to the authors, this is the first health economic evaluation of a health promotion intervention targeting physical activity and healthy eating in individuals with mental disorders. Such research is important as it provides payers and governments with better insights how to spend the available resources in the most efficient way. Further research examining the cost-effectiveness of health promotion targeting physical activity an…
The association of breakfast skipping and television viewing at breakfast with weight status among parents of 10–12-year-olds in eight European countries; the Energy (EuropeaN Energy balance Research …
Objective The main objective was to assess the relationship of breakfast skipping, television (TV) viewing at breakfast and breakfast without TV with weight status among parents of 10–12-year-olds in eight European countries. Design A cross-sectional survey assessed breakfast eating and TV viewing at breakfast by three frequency questions and parents were categorized into: (i) breakfast skippers; (ii) breakfast with TV (TV watchers at breakfast);…
Risk factors for childhood overweight
Objective The increasing prevalence of childhood overweight is an important health issue. There is a need for longitudinal research among children in order to identify risk factors for childhood overweight. The objective of the present research was to identify potential sociodemographic and behavioural risk factors for development of childhood overweight among 3- to 6-year-old children. Design Longitudinal study. Setting Sixteen pre-primary and p…
Prevention of overweight in children younger than 2 years old
Objective The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a 1-year family-based healthy lifestyle intervention implemented through day-care centres on toddlers’ BMI Z -scores and reported activity- and dietary-related behaviours. Design Pilot cluster-randomized controlled trial. Setting Seventy child-care centres in three different intervention communities and three paired-matched control communities in Flanders, Belgium. Subjects A s…
Social capital and adolescent smoking in schools and communities
Evaluation of a workplace intervention to promote commuter cycling
The results of the dissemination study are promising. The adoption and implementation rates indicate that the 'Bike to Work: cyclists are rewarded' program seems to be a feasible workplace intervention. At the individual level, a higher score of commuter cycling was found among the employees aware of the program. Nevertheless, more evidence regarding long term effectiveness and sustainability of the intervention is needed
Community embedded reproductive health interventions for adolescents in Latin America
ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01722084)
Predictors of validity and reliability of a physical activity record in adolescents
The physical activity record provided acceptable estimates for reliability and validity on a group level. Sex and setting were associated with validity estimates, whereas convenience to fill out the record was associated with better reliability estimates for LPA. This tendency of improved reliability estimates for adolescents reporting higher convenience merits further consideration
Health promotion in individuals with mental disorders
This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT 01336946
Test–retest reliability and agreement between children's and parents’ reports of a computerized food preferences tool
Objective To investigate test–retest reliability of primary-school children's reports of food preferences and to investigate agreement with parental reports. Design Children completed an online test and retest, one to two weeks later, during school hours; parents completed a paper-and-pencil or an online questionnaire at home. The children's preferences questionnaire contained 148 food items, reduced to twelve scales; the parental questionnaire c…
Influence of mother's educational level on food parenting practices and food habits of young children
Associations of parenting styles, parental feeding practices and child characteristics with young children's fruit and vegetable consumption
Can the school make a difference? A multilevel analysis of adolescent risk and health behaviour
Social capital and social inequality in adolescents' health in 601 Flemish communities
Social capital and adolescent smoking in schools and communities
Young children's dietary habits and associations with the mothers’ nutritional knowledge and attitudes
Parental socioeconomic status and soft drink consumption of the child. The mediating proportion of parenting practices
Test–retest reliability and comparison of children's reports with parents’ reports of young children's fruit and vegetable preferences
Associations between home- and family-related factors and fruit juice and soft drink intake among 10- to 12-year old children. The Energy project
Food-related family lifestyle associated with fruit and vegetable consumption among young adolescents in Belgium Flanders and the Veneto Region of Italy
Food consumption among preschoolers. Does the school make a difference
Poster presentations
To identify in the Portuguese population, the determinants and physical activity (PA) levels, to define adequate strategies of health promotion. This project belongs to the Pan-EU Survey on Consumer Attitudes to PA, Body Weight and Health, lead by the Institute of European Food Studies, sponsored by DG V, with the cooperation of all EU countries. Methods 1007 Portuguese citizens, aged > 15, were interviewed constituting a national representative …
A Belgian study on the reliability and relative validity of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children food-frequency questionnaire
Objective: In the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) survey, the frequency of consumption of a limited number of food items – focusing on fibre, calcium and less healthy items – is queried using a 15-item food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The present study was conducted to assess the reliability and relative validity of the HBSC FFQ among school pupils in Belgium. Design and subjects: To assess the reliability of the FFQ, 207 pupil…
Can the school make a difference? A multilevel analysis of adolescent risk and health behaviour
Influence of mother's educational level on food parenting practices and food habits of young children
Fruit and Vegetable Intake in a Sample of 11-Year-Old Children in 9 European Countries
Background/Aims: An adequate fruit and vegetable intake provides essential nutrients and nutritive compounds and is considered an important part of a healthy lifestyle. No simple instrument has been available for the assessment of fruit and vegetable intake as well as its determinants in school-aged children applicable in different European countries. Within the Pro Children Project, such an instrument has been developed. This paper describes the…
The relative influence of individual and contextual socio-economic status on consumption of fruit and soft drinks among adolescents in Europe
BACKGROUND: The number of studies among children and adolescents that focus on socio-economic differences in food habits is limited. Moreover, most are done in only one country and often include a non-representative sample. The present study examines whether socio-economic differences in the consumption of fruit and soft drinks can be found among young adolescents in a wide range of European countries. METHODS: Multilevel statistical analysis of …
Smoking trends among adolescents from 1990 to 2002 in ten European countries and Canada
Among adolescents in Europe, three groups of countries in a different stage of the smoking epidemic curve can be identified, with girls being in an earlier stage than boys. In 2002, large differences in smoking prevalence between the countries have been observed. This predicts a high mortality due to smoking over 20-30 years for some countries, if no policy interventions are taken
Television viewing behaviour and associations with food habits in different countries
Objective Several environmental factors influence adolescents' food habits and television (TV) viewing is thought to be one of these factors. The purpose of the present study was to describe sociodemographic differences in TV viewing and to examine associations of TV viewing with the consumption of sweets, soft drinks, fruit and vegetables in different countries. Methods Data were collected from 162 305 young people completing the 2001/02 Health …
Food habits and physical activity patterns among Palestinian adolescents
Objective To describe the food habits and physical (in)activity patterns and to investigate the relationship with sociodemographic factors among Palestinian adolescents. Design and subjects The Palestinian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) is a cross-sectional survey of grades 6, 8, 10 and 12. Students completed a modified version of the international HBSC questionnaire. A total of 8885 students were included in this analysis; 53% w…
The effects of a middle-school healthy eating intervention on adolescents' fat and fruit intake and soft drinks consumption
Objectives To evaluate the effects of a middle-school healthy eating promotion intervention combining environmental changes and computer-tailored feedback, with and without an explicit parent involvement component. Design Clustered randomised controlled trial. Setting Fifteen West-Flemish (Belgian) middle schools. Subjects A random sample of 15 schools with 2991 pupils in 7th and 8th grades was randomly assigned to an intervention group with pare…
Food Intakes by Preschool Children in Flanders Compared with Dietary Guidelines
The objective of this study was to compare food group intakes among preschool children with food-based dietary guidelines (FBDG) and to determine the proportion of children meeting these guidelines. Food consumption of preschool children (2.5-6.5 years) living in Flanders (Belgium) were assessed in a cross-sectional study, using proxy reported 3d estimated dietary records (EDR) (n 696). Statistical modelling was used to account for within-individ…
Assessing, understanding and modifying nutritional status, eating habits and physical activity in European adolescents
Objectives To identify the main knowledge gaps and to propose research lines that will be developed within the European Union-funded ‘Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence’ (HELENA) project, concerning the nutritional status, physical fitness and physical activity of adolescents in Europe. Design Review of the currently existing literature. Results The main gaps identified were: lack of harmonised and comparable data on food int…
Food consumption among preschoolers. Does the school make a difference
Parents’ and Teachers’ Opinions about the School Food Policy in Belgian Flemish Nursery Schools
The partnership of parents, teachers, and schools is necessary to develop effective school food interventions. To gather parents' and teachers' opinions and perceptions about the school food policy, 884 parents and 70 teachers of preschoolers completed a questionnaire. School food policy is an issue of importance for parents and teachers: the majority agrees that schools should restrict the availability of snacks and soft drinks; however, to repl…
Relative Validity and Reproducibility of a Food-Frequency Questionnaire for Estimating Food Intakes among Flemish Preschoolers
The aims of this study were to assess the relative validity and reproducibility of a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) applied in a large region-wide survey among 2.5-6.5 year-old children for estimating food group intakes. Parents/guardians were used as a proxy. Estimated diet records (3d) were used as reference method and reproducibility was measured by repeated FFQ administrations five weeks apart. In total 650 children were…
Body weight dissatisfaction and communication with parents among adolescents in 24 countries
Parents have significant influence on behaviors and perceptions surrounding eating, body image and weight in adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of body weight dissatisfaction, difficulty in communication with the parents and the relationship between communication with parents and adolescents' dissatisfaction with their body weight (dieting or perceived need to diet). Survey data were collected from adolescents in 24 …
Reliability and validity of a healthy diet determinants questionnaire for adolescents
Objective To describe the development of a short questionnaire including a wide range of personal, social and environmental constructs in relation to a healthy diet in an adolescent population. Design The questionnaire was developed based on the literature, past experiences and feedback from a small pilot study ( n 10). Test and retest (2 weeks later) of the questionnaire was done to investigate test–retest reliability. Data of four non-consecuti…
General parenting styles are not strongly associated with fruit and vegetable intake and social–environmental correlates among 11-year-old children in four countries in Europe
Objectives To investigate whether fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake in 11-year-olds, and social–environmental correlates of F&V intake such as parental modelling and encouragement, family food rules and home availability, differ according to general parenting styles in Belgium, The Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Primary schools in four countries. Subjects Pupils and one of their parents completed questionnai…
Effectiveness of school-based interventions in Europe to promote healthy nutrition in children and adolescents
The objective of the present review was to summarise the existing European published and ‘grey’ literature on the effectiveness of school-based interventions to promote a healthy diet in children (6–12 years old) and adolescents (13–18 years old). Eight electronic databases, websites and contents of key journals were systematically searched, reference lists were screened, and authors and experts in the field were contacted for studies evaluating …
Evidence-based development of school-based and family-involved prevention of overweight across Europe
The ENERGY-project is an international, multidisciplinary effort to develop and test an evidence-based and theory-informed intervention program for obesity prevention among school-aged children
The relationship between children’s home food environment and dietary patterns in childhood and adolescence
Objective To identify the correlates of the home food environment (parents’ intake, availability and food-related parenting practices) at the age of 10 years with dietary patterns during childhood and in adolescence. Setting Primary-school children of fifty-nine Flemish elementary schools completed a questionnaire at school in 2002. Four years later they completed a questionnaire by e-mail or mail at home. Their parents completed a questionnaire …
Relationship of physical activity and dietary habits with body mass index in the transition from childhood to adolescence
Objective To explore the relationship between several physical activity (PA) and dietary behaviours and BMI Z- score and to investigate the relationship between changes in these variables and in the BMI Z- score over a 4-year period from childhood to adolescence. Design Longitudinal study in which children were included in the fifth grade and measured for four consecutive years. Dietary and PA behaviours as well as height and weight were measured…
Young children's dietary habits and associations with the mothers’ nutritional knowledge and attitudes
Test–retest reliability and comparison of children's reports with parents’ reports of young children's fruit and vegetable preferences
Food-related family lifestyle associated with fruit and vegetable consumption among young adolescents in Belgium Flanders and the Veneto Region of Italy
Medicine (62 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (51 works) · Psychology (42 works) · Environmental health (39 works) · Demography (28 works) · Demography (24 works) · Public health (23 works) · Physical therapy (19 works) · Biostatistics (18 works) · Gerontology (18 works)