Louisiana

VUMC receives $10 million to study childhood obesity interventions in rural and minority communities in Tennessee and Louisiana

Published

12 months ago

November 29, 2023

VUMC receives million to study childhood obesity interventions in rural and minority communities in Tennessee and Louisiana

by Christina Echegaray

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a $10 million, five-year research funding award from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) to study the ideal “dose” of behavioral interventions to treat childhood obesity in rural and minority communities across Tennessee and Louisiana.

Bill Heerman, MD, MPH

Bill Heerman, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of General Pediatrics a Vanderbilt, will lead the randomized, multisite trial with co-principal investigator Amanda Staiano, PhD, at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center.

Despite ongoing efforts, childhood obesity rates have continued to increase over the last 10 years, with about 1 in 5 children across the U.S. affected by obesity. The prevalence of childhood obesity is higher among children who are underrepresented minorities and those who live in rural areas due to health disparities and limited access to interventions. Across the U.S., about 22% of Hispanic or Latin American and 20% of African American children have obesity compared to about 14% of white children. Additionally, obesity affects about 22% of children who live in rural areas.

Researchers in the Dose Childhood Obesity Trial will study the optimal duration of behavioral interventions, including number of sessions and length of sessions, which are best in treating childhood obesity among these groups.

“We know that one-size fits all approaches to treating childhood obesity don’t work. This trial is an opportunity to understand what works best and for whom,” said Heerman, associate professor of Pediatrics and a general pediatrician at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Researchers plan to enroll 900 parent-child pairs, with children ages 5 to 17 who have obesity and are from rural and minority communities in Tennessee and Louisiana, where childhood obesity rates are among the highest in the country. Underserved communities often have unequal access to evidence-based obesity interventions, contributing to the higher rates among these populations.

Children are diagnosed with obesity if their body mass index is at or above the 95^th percentile for their age and gender category. The long-term risks associated with childhood obesity include Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

Current American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations call for children with obesity to receive an intensive behavioral intervention of 26 hours of face-to-face, family-based treatment over six months. These evidence-based behavioral and lifestyle interventions can include regular check-ins with primary care physicians, personalized nutrition plans, healthy learning modules and more.

In the study, researchers will compare how different “dosing” combinations of face-to-face intervention time may be optimized to help reduce a child’s weight over 12 months and impact a child’s diet, physical activity, sleep, media use and quality of life. Specifically, they want to examine: is the intensity of the AAP-recommended 26 hours needed, or can a reduced-intensity behavioral intervention between 13 and 22 hours be effective in treating childhood obesity and increasing reach to underserved communities?

The parent-child pairs will be randomly assigned to one of five study arms (26, 22, 19, 16 and 13 hours) of the trial.

The types of interventions for each arm will be the same and include: primary care physician visits; on-demand web-based content that includes learning modules on topics such as choosing healthy foods, being an active family, the importance of sleep; community resource counseling with social or community health workers; and parent-child personalized nutrition services with certified nutritionists. The difference between the arms will be in the frequency and duration of the personalized nutrition counseling.

Speaking about the potential impact of this study, Heerman said, “By testing the optimal dose of behavioral interventions for childhood obesity, we hope to inform future treatment recommendations and build pragmatic solutions that can reach the millions of children with obesity in the United States.”

The research team and scientific advisory board includes researchers from Vanderbilt and Pennington, representatives from the American Academy of Pediatrics, multiple international experts in childhood obesity interventions, and patient representatives.

VUMC’s award has been approved pending completion of a business and programmatic review by PCORI staff and issuance of a formal award contract.

PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress with a mission to fund patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research that provides patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information they need to make better informed health and health care decisions.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Has a New Income Tax: What It Means for You

Published

37 mins ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Louisiana Has a New Income Tax: What It Means for You

Louisiana has just revamped its tax system and the changes that kick in next year could significantly impact residents’ wallets.

Led by Gov. Jeff Landry, this comprehensive reform is designed to simplify the state’s tax code and make Louisiana more competitive for businesses and families.

In an end-of-session address, Landry described the tax changes as historic, adding, “Today we have made generational change in this state. We now stand at the threshold of a new era for Louisiana.”

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Here’s more of what you need to know.

New Louisiana flat tax

At the heart of this Louisiana tax reform is a flat 3% income tax rate, which replaces a tiered system with often complicated calculations.

This change could be welcome news for many residents.

For example, according to an analysis by RESET Louisiana, if you are a Louisiana resident earning between $30,000 and $40,000 a year, you could save around $330 on your state taxes.
If your income falls between $70,000 and $80,000, expect savings of about $550.
And for those making over $140,000? You might find an extra $1,000 in your pocket when it’s time to file your state return.

And there’s more. The state standard deduction has nearly tripled for individuals and doubled for older adults, meaning some households with low income may not have to pay state income tax.

Before the bill, Louisiana’s standard deduction was $4,500 for single filers and $9,000 for joint filers.
Next year, those amounts jump to $12,500 for single filers and those married filing separately.
For those married filing jointly, heads of households, and surviving spouses, the standard deduction rises to $25,000 in 2025.

Also, under the new tax reform bill, the retirement income exemption doubles from $6,000 to $12,000 and will be adjusted annually for inflation beginning in 2026.

As a result, more older adults in the state may be able to keep more of their retirement earnings tax-free.

However, remember that tax cuts like these come with a cost. This tax package offsets some of the cuts with increased state sales tax.

Louisiana sales tax hike

Louisiana will increase its state sales tax rate from 4.45% to 5% for five years beginning Jan. 1, 2025.

According to the Tax Foundation, that makes Louisiana’s combined state and local sales tax rate the highest in the nation. (In six years, 2030, the Louisiana state sales tax is scheduled to be reduced to 4.75%.)

As Kiplinger has reported, higher sales taxes generally mean consumers pay more at checkout, potentially reducing disposable income and altering shopping habits.

Critics argue that this sales tax increase places a heavier burden on residents with lower incomes, who spend more of their income on taxable goods and services.

Louisiana corporate tax changes

Meanwhile, businesses weren’t left out of the Louisiana tax cut equation.

The corporate income tax rate is set to drop to a flat 5.5%, down from a steep 7.5%.
The corporate franchise tax has also been eliminated for businesses with revenues exceeding $500 million.

Those changes are designed to attract more companies to the Pelican State which some supporters say could lead to job creation and economic growth.

Louisiana income tax: What does this mean for you?

So, what does all this mean for Louisianans?

Potentially More Money in Your Pocket: With lower income taxes, some residents will enjoy increased take-home pay.

Simplified Tax Filing: The flat rate means less time spent figuring out previously complicated state tax brackets.

Higher Prices Ahead: Due to the increased sales tax, prices on goods and services will be slightly higher.

And as Louisiana adapts, stay informed about how these tax changes could affect your finances and daily lives. If you’re unsure how a higher state standard deduction or flat state tax rate will impact your return, consult a trusted and qualified tax professional.

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Louisiana

Arkansas rises in ESPN FPI after Louisiana Tech win

Published

9 hours ago

November 25, 2024

Press Room

Arkansas rises in ESPN FPI after Louisiana Tech win

The Arkansas Razorbacks (6-5, 3-4 SEC) jumped in the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) following their 35-14 win Saturday over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville.

After coming in at 32nd overall following their loss to Texas, the Razorbacks moved up three spots to No. 29 off the back of the win over Louisiana Tech in ESPN’s FPI this week.

Head coach Sam Pittman’s squad now has a 6.3-5.7 projected win total and has secured six wins for bowl eligibility. Arkansas, of course, no longer has a chance at winning the SEC or making the College Football Playoff, according to the FPI.

According to ESPN, Arkansas now has the 15th-highest SOS (strength of schedule) and the 26th-best remaining SOS. The Razorbacks also slot in at No. 33 in Game Control rank, which reflects the chance that an average Top 25 team would control games from start to end. Finally, Arkansas is No. 56 in average in-game win probability.

After 13 weeks of football, Arkansas dropped to No. 36 in the country in efficiency rankings, according to ESPN. This includes a 59.1 (No. 46) offensive rating.

The defensive rating moved up to 67.7 (No. 27) this week, and the special teams unit increased its rating to 45.2 (No. 87) after the Louisiana Tech game.

Compared to the rest of the SEC, the Razorbacks come in at No. 13 in the FPI just above Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Mississippi State. The Hogs are the same in the efficiency department, as they slot in at No. 13 in the SEC.

Arkansas’ next matchup will be on the road against No. 23 Missouri (8-3, 4-3 SEC), which ranks No. 33 in ESPN’s FPI with a 61.1 offensive efficiency (43rd) and 74.4 defensive efficiency (16th).

Per ESPN analytics, Arkansas has a 33.3% chance of beating Missouri this week.

The Razorbacks’ game against the Tigers will kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. It will be broadcast on SEC Network.

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Louisiana

Thieves steal 3 Corvettes from Longview dealership, lead authorities on chase to Louisiana

Published

17 hours ago

November 24, 2024

Press Room

Thieves steal 3 Corvettes from Longview dealership, lead authorities on chase to Louisiana

LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – Three Corvettes were stolen from a dealership in Longview early Sunday morning, launching a chase that reached all the way to Shreveport.

According to Gregg County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Craig Harrington, three Corvettes were taken from Peters Chevrolet by drivers who fled eastbound towards Louisiana.

Harrington said one vehicle was spiked near Waskom on I-20, causing the driver to bail out and run on foot until being apprehended by authorities. A second car was recovered in Shreveport, and the third was found at a location in Louisiana that authorities have not yet released.

Law enforcement is in possession of all three vehicles, Harrington said, but no suspects are currently in custody and no further information is being released on them at this time. The vehicles are set to be returned to the dealership.

KLTV has reached out to Peters Chevrolet for comment.

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