Assessment of Food Cravings, Food Intake, and Weight Status Among Saudi Adults in Central and Western Regions of Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective, Cross-Sectional Study

Emerging research has explored hands-on meal preparation as a strategy to improve children's nutrition-related outcomes. This scoping review was conducted to describe the extent of studies on children's involvement in hands-on meal preparation and the related psychosocial outcomes, actual nutrition behaviour/food consumption and weight status. Scoping review methodology was used to select relevant studies, as well as extract and collate the data. Four databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) were searched from the earliest available time up to December 2020. Observational studies, experimental studies and reviews that were conducted among children aged 5-12years old and published from 2010 to 2020 were retrieved. Studies extracted involved children in hands-on healthy meal preparation activities and explored the associated nutrition outcomes. In total, 28 studies (5 observational studies, 21 experimental studies, 2 reviews) were included in the final review. Studies conducted demonstrated improvement in children's psychosocial outcomes and actual nutrition behaviour/food consumption after participating in hands-on meal preparation activities, despite differences in methodology, programme content and settings (countries/cultural origins). Limited studies assessed children's nutrients intake and weight status. The current review suggests that hands-on meal preparation comprises approach for instilling positive perceptions towards nutrition/healthy foods, potentially improving children's diet. Future studies should include the assessment of nutrient intake and weight status. The long-term sustainability of these nutrition outcomes should be explored.

Feeding behaviors of low-income mothers: directive control relates to a lower BMI in children, and a nondirective control relates to a healthier diet in preschoolers

Introduction: Childhood is a time of critical growth in which proper nutrition is necessary. Children afflicted by sustained poor nutrition are at greater risk for obesity, mental and emotional health problems and a failure to thrive academically. The objective of this study was to assess the food intake of children attending the Montessori school.
 Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out among 235 children of 3-5 years from twenty Montessori schools. Data were collected using simple random sampling. A weighed food was recorded from the consumption of children during a day of their stay in the Montessori school along with the observation of food consumption.
 Results: More than every nine out of ten children (92.8%) didn’t meet calorie requirement. The mean food intake during their stay in Montessori was 368.81±111.89 grams. Mean calorie, fat, protein, retinol and beta carotene intake were 540±150.5 Kcal, 10.04±5.6 grams, 13.25±5.49 grams, 49.76±32.6 grams, 135.75±274.67 grams respectively. Dietary fat (OR=3.7, 95% CI; 1.8, 7.5) and protein consumption (OR=2.2, 95% CI; 1.1, 4.4) were significantly associated with overweight status of children.
 Conclusion: The amount of nutritive foods should be increased so that the children meet adequate amount of nutrient required for the proper growth and development of their body. Since the association between dietary fat and protein intake with overweight condition was observed the excess use of fat providing foods should be limited and protein rich foods should be provided as per the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of Montessori children.
 Keywords: Food intake, nutritional status, children, Nepal

Physical activity and good nutrition plays a pivotal role in maintaining good health. Swimming is a low impact activity and a good workout which confers physical and mental health benefits. It was hypothesized that the nutrient intake and nutritional status of the adolescent swimmers (experimental group) will be different from the nonswimmers (control group). The BMI will be different from non-swimmers (control group). The study was undertaken with an aim to assess the nutritional status of regular swimmers and non-swimmers in the age group of 13-18 years. Assessment of somatic status and nutrient intake were the objectives. A sample consisting of swimmers (N=80) including 40 male swimmers and 40 female swimmers was selected along with the control group containing 30 male swimmers and 30 female non-swimmers (N=60). Irrespective of their status as swimmers or non-swimmers, the mean nutrient intake in both the groups was significantly less than their RDA (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, calcium, iron, vitamin D, vitamin C.). The BMI of the swimmers was less compared to the non-swimmers but within the normal range in case of both the boys and girls. However, the Mid Arm Circumference which depicts the muscle mass was higher among the swimmers. The study revealed that there was no significant difference in the nutrient intake of both the groups irrespective of the competitive sport. Even though nutrient intake is not meeting the RDA, the Mid Arm Circumference is good indicator depicting the importance of physicalactivity. Even though the nutritional knowledge was good in both the groups, their nutrient intake shows they not practising the same. Most of the swimmers were found to be non-vegetarians following a meal pattern of 4 meals per day, while most of the non-swimmers were found to be vegetarians and ova-vegetarians following a 3 meal pattern per day. A habit of skipping meals was found in adolescent boys (swimmers and non-swimmers). The water consumption was found to be more than 5 litres per day among the swimmers as against the non-swimmers who were consuming less than 3 litres per day.

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the relationship among cognitive function, nutrition screening initiative (NSI) score, and food intake status. Methods: A total of 409 subjects aged over 60 years were recruited from the Yongin dementia prevention and control center. Mini Mental State Examination Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) method was used to assess the cognitive function of the subjects. Information on health related behaviors and food intake was collected by face to face interview using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaires included the NSI DETERMINE checklist, food intake sheets by 24 hr recall method and by semi-quantified food frequency questionnaire. Results: Subjects were divided into low cognitive or normal groups according to the MMSE-DS result. The prevalence of low cognitive function in the subjects was 25.7%. The low cognitive group exercised less and had higher nutritional health risk than the normal group. The low cognitive group had lower consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acid and higher tendency of thiamin, riboflavin, and iron deficiency. The low cognitive group had less frequency of eating mackerel, pepper, tangerine, and watermelon and higher frequency of eating white rice and cookies than the normal group. Conclusion: The results of this study imply that the cognitive function of elderly is related to exercise behavior, nutritional health risk, and food and nutrient intake status.

Gastrointestinal mucositis is a frequent side effect of systemic anticancer treatment and radiotherapy. The occurrence endangers body resources by decreasing food intake and absorption. This review highlights new developments in treatment and prevention. Recent clinical practice guidelines recommend supplying adequate amounts of energy and nutrients to cancer patients undergoing anticancer treatments. This requires repeated screening for risk of malnutrition and in at-risk patients, assessment of food intake and nutritional status, followed by nutritional interventions targeted at individual deficiencies and tolerance to oral, enteral or parenteral feeding. Recent preclinical data report beneficial effects of stimulating the sensor for cell damage signals TRPA1, blocking histamine H2 receptors or supplying probiotics. In a recent clinical trial, amifostine reduced gastrointestinal symptoms and was well tolerated. Probiotics are studied in ongoing clinical trials and glucagon-like peptide 2 analogues are considered for future trials. Due to limited options available today, it has been suggested to also consider several plant-based complementary therapies. Although options for prevention and treatment of chemotherapy or radiotherapy-induced gastrointestinal mucositis today are still limited, inadequate energy and nutrient intake should trigger nutritional interventions, including counselling, oral nutritional supplements, tube feeding and parenteral nutrition. To prevent gastrointestinal mucositis, several new agents have shown promising results in preclinical trials.

Accurate food and nutrient intake assessment is essential for investigating diet-disease relationships. In the present study, food and nutrient intake assessment among European adolescents using 24 h recalls (mean of two recalls) and a FFQ (separately and the combination of both) were evaluated using concentration biomarkers. Biomarkers included were vitamin C, β-carotene, DHA+EPA, vitamin B12 (cobalamin and holo-transcobalamin) and folate (erythrocyte folate and plasma folate). For the evaluation of the food intake assessment 390 adolescents were included, while 697 were included for the nutrient intake assessment evaluation. Spearman rank and Pearson correlations, and validity coefficients, which are correlations between intake estimated and habitual true intake, were calculated. Correlations were higher between frequency of food consumption (from the FFQ) and concentration biomarkers than between mean food intake (from the recalls) and concentration biomarkers, especially for DHA+EPA (r 0·35 v. r 0·27). Most correlations were higher among girls than boys. For boys, the highest validity coefficients were found for frequency of fruit consumption (0·88) and for DHA+EPA biomarker (0·71). In girls, the highest validity coefficients were found for fruit consumption frequency (0·76), vegetable consumption frequency (0·74), mean fruit intake (0·90) and DHA+EPA biomarker (0·69). After exclusion of underreporters, correlations slightly improved. Correlations between usual food intakes, adjusted for food consumption frequency, and concentration biomarkers were higher than correlations between mean food intakes and concentration biomarkers. In conclusion, two non-consecutive 24 h recalls in combination with a FFQ seem to be appropriate to rank subjects according to their usual food intake.

Self-perception of weight status is an important factor in food consumption and weight-loss-related behaviors. To determine women's self-perception of weight status, married women's perception of their husbands' opinions regarding women's weight status, the relationship between socio-demographic factors and under-assessment of weight status in overweight/obese women. In a cross-sectional study in the year 2003 in Islamshahr, 704 adult women aged 19 to 65 years were included. Women's self-perception of weight and married women's perception of husbands' opinions regarding women's weight status were compared with actual weight group categorized according to body mass index (BMI). Results were expressed as frequency and percentage. Logistic regression was used to assess the independent effects of various socio-demographic factors on under-assessment of weight status in overweight and obese women. Data were analyzed using SPSS 11.5 for Windows (SPSS, Chicago, IL). Overall, 48% (338) women misclassified their weight status relative to their actual weight. Married women's perception of husbands' opinion regarding women's weight status showed about 57% (266) misclassification. Multivariate regression analysis revealed place of residence and women's perception of husbands' opinion regarding women's weight status to be independently associated with under-assessment of weight status by overweight and obese women. Overweight and obese women's perception of their husbands' opinion regarding women's weight status has a significant effect on assessment of weight status by women. Women of Islamshahr should be taught to more accurately assess weight status and to initiate action to prevent or correct excessive weight.

Despite the importance of physical activity and training, the optimum nutrient intake and good nutritional knowledge have been recognized as important factors in improving the athletic performance and health status of athletes. The present study was conducted to assess the nutritional knowledge, dietary habits, nutrient intake and nutritional status of Sultan Qaboos University student athletes. A cross-sectional study design was used to achieve the objectives. Seventy one (49 male and 22 female) student athletes with a mean age of 21.0±1.81 and 19.32±0.72 years and body mass index (BMI) of 22.51±1.98 and 20.34±2.97 kg/m for male and female respectively, participated in study. All subjects were interviewed in person. The 2 study questionnaire consisted of questions related to demographic information, nutritional knowledge and a 7-days food diary to identify nutrient intake, food frequency and variety of food consumption. Significant differences (p<0.05) were observed in the main sources of nutrition information used by the male and female athletes. The male subjects had most of the nutrition information from friends (17%) as compared to female subjects who relied on the family members (20%). Significant (p<0.05) differences were also observed in nutritional knowledge and dietary habits scores of male and female athletes (57 and 49%, respectively). Male athletes were classified to have fair nutritional knowledge and dietary habits, whereas the female athletes had poor nutritional knowledge and dietary habits. Mean daily energy (2595±358 kcal/day) as well as the macronutrients intake in male student athletes was within the recommended dietary intake allowance. Study identified some gaps in nutritional knowledge, dietary habits and barriers in physical activity among student athletes and suggests a need for developing strategies in counseling and teaching of athletes to improve their athletic performance and health promotion.

The Relationship of Breakfast Skipping and Type of Breakfast Consumption with Nutrient Intake and Weight Status in Children and Adolescents: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2006

We evaluated the adequacy of nutrient intake in comparison with the Indonesian Estimated Average Requirement (EARs) among pregnant Indonesian women and explain the short-term effect of economic crisis on nutrient intake and iron status. Cross-sectional study. Purworejo District, Central Java, located 60 km west of Yogyakarta Province, Indonesia. During the period from 1996 to 1998, up to six 24 h recalls were performed during the second trimester of pregnancy among 450 women. Nutrient intake and iron status was evaluated in relation to date of data collection relative to the economic crisis that emerged in August 1997. A computer program (Inafood) was developed to calculate nutrient intake. : Forty percent of the pregnant women were at risk of inadequate intake of energy and protein, and 70% were at risk of inadequate intake of vitamin A, calcium and iron even before the crisis. Our results also demonstrate an effect of short-term economic crisis on nutrient intake and iron status. When the crisis emerged, urban poor experienced a decrease in intake of most nutrients. During the crisis, rich women experienced a significant decrease in fat (P<0.05). Negative changes in fat density during crisis were experienced by the rich and the rural, poor, and access to rice field subgroups (P<0.01). A significant increase in carbohydrate densities was seen for the rich and rural, poor, and access to rice fields groups (P<0.05). Urban poor experienced decreased serum ferritin concentration (P<0.05), whereas rich women experienced a significant increase (P<0.05). Urban poor and rural poor landless women were most directly affected by the emerging economic crisis.

A Dietary Pattern With More Fruits and Vegetables in Children of Mothers Who Immigrated to the United States From Latin America Is Associated With Healthful Nutrient Intake and Weight Status

Variety of High and Very Low-Energy Density Foods among Preschool-Aged Children and Associations with Food Intake, Diet Quality, and Weight Status

Parametric assessment of household's food intake, agricultural practices and health in rural South West, Nigeria

Assessment of Nutritional Knowledge, Dietary Habits, Nutrient Intake and Nutritional Status of Omani University Students