Food Knowledge Research Articles

Effectiveness of complementary feeding patterns on Nutritional status in toddlers age 6-24 months : A systematic review

Feeding patterns and practices during the first year of life are very important for growth, development, and morbidity. WHO recommends infants exclusively breastfed in the first six months , then begin complementary foods that are nutritionally adequate, safe and appropriately fed from 6 to 24 months to meet the needs of a growing baby.This study is a systematic review of literature by searching five e-databases namely Scopus, Science Direct, pubmed, Portal Garuda and Google Scholar. Literature search was carried out using Boolean Operators including OR/AND with search terms. Literature search keywords used English and Indonesian.Patterns of complementary food giving and Nutritional Status in toddlers (8 articles), Knowledge of complementary foods (1 article), Behavior of giving complementary foods (1 article), Characteristics of giving complementary foods (5 articles).The results, there is an effect of the pattern of complementary feeding on the nutritional status of toddlers aged 6-24 months.

Eating habits and knowledge in adolescents

Introduction: currently unhealthy diets cause health problems among the population. Therefore, it is necessary to apply an adequate dietary habit for a healthy life and thus reduce the risk of diseases in the future. Objective: to analyze the dietary habits and knowledge of adolescents between 14 and 17 years of age, identifying the risk factors that may affect the health and well-being of the population studied. Method: a quantitative approach methodology with descriptive scope was applied. A dietary questionnaire on eating habits, eating behavior and nutritional knowledge was applied. Results: when analyzing the sample, risk factors that may affect the nutritional health of the studied population were identified, where most of the students have notions about these practices. Most of them have reliable knowledge about food consumption frequency and variety. However, the dimensions that evidenced lower reliability corresponded to food knowledge in adolescents. Conclusions: the results obtained in the present research, allow us to conclude that the adolescents who made up the sample of this research possess reliable knowledge about the variables self-efficacy, frequency in food consumption, eating habits, knowledge of nutrition and food safety and behavior in hygiene practices, which indicates that most students possess notions about these practices, which can serve as protection

The Multidimension of Malnutrition among School Children in a Rural Area, South Africa: A Mixed Methods Approach

To address childhood malnutrition, the use of multifaceted methodologies, such as mixed methods research, is required to inform effective and contextual interventions. However, this remains limited in studying malnutrition among school children in a South African context, notwithstanding its persistence. We adopted a convergent parallel mixed methods design to best understand the magnitude of malnutrition through multilevel influences in a rural area. A quantitative survey determined the magnitude of malnutrition and associated factors among school children and their mothers (n = 508), parallel to a qualitative study, which explored mothers' insights into the influences of child growth and nutrition in interviews using seven focus group discussions. Mixed methods integration was achieved through convergence of the quantitative constructs developed from measured variables for malnutrition and related factors with ten emergent qualitative themes using a joint display analysis to compare the findings and generate meta-inferences. Qualitative themes on food unavailability and affordability, poor feeding beliefs and practices, and decision to purchase foods were consistent with the quantified poor socio-demographic status of mothers. Furthermore, the qualitative data explained the high prevalence of undernutrition among children but did not corroborate the high estimated households' food security in the quantitative survey. The misperceptions of mothers on child growth agreed with limited food knowledge as well as lack of knowledge on child growth gathered during the survey. Moreover, mothers believed that their children were growing well despite the high presence of childhood undernutrition. Mothers further overrated the effectiveness of school feeding programmes in providing healthy food to children as compared to their household food. They reported high incidence of food allergies, diarrhea, and vomiting caused by food consumed at school which resulted in children not eating certain foods. This might have impacted on the nutritional status of children since mothers depended on the school feeding program to provide food for their children. The ambiguity of cultural influences in relation to child growth was evident and substantiated during qualitative interview. Mixed methods integration offered a better understanding of malnutrition from empirical findings on interrelated factors at child, maternal, household, and school levels. This study points to a need for multilevel, informed, and contextual multidimensional interventions to contribute towards addressing childhood malnutrition in South Africa.

Traditional food knowledge of local people and its sustainability in mountains of Uttarakhand State of India.

With homogenisation of various cultural groups due to outside forces and the effect of globalisation, many traditional foods, as developed by various cultural groups, have been lost or on the verge of elimination. In this context, the present study aims to examine and document the traditional food knowledge of local people in Uttarakhand State of India. Interviews and interactions with the local people resulted in documentation of 38 cuisines traditionally prepared by the local people of selected study regions in Uttarakhand. Apart from boiled rice and chapattis (flatbread) of wheat flour, chapattis and porridge of finger millet flour and boiled barnyard and foxtail millets were frequently consumed dishes in combination with dishes made with locally grown pulses such as horse gram and black gram and vegetables such as potato, radish and other leafy vegetables. The supplementary dishes were locally called as fanu, chaisu, gathoni, thechwani, kafli and kadhi. Plants formed the major ingredients in making traditional cuisines. The present study documented 41 plant species comprising of cereals, millets, pulses and spices. With a view to enhance the taste of the dishes, different spices and condiments such as Allium humile, Allium wallichii, Cleome viscosa, Cannabis sativa, Perilla frutescens and Cinnamomum tamala were used by the local people. These dishes possessed some unique characteristics and ethno-medicinal values; hence, when required, they were used to cure a number of ailments as well. Since most of the mountain region in the study area was once inaccessible and health facilities were not much developed till recent times, the traditional health-care system was supported by the traditional food systems. The findings of the present study are further discussed in the context of sustainability of socio-ecological systems of Uttarakhand.

HUBUNGAN PENGETAHUAN GIZI, BODY IMAGE DAN KONSUMSI MAKANAN CEPAT SAJI DENGAN STATUS GIZI REMAJA PUTRI DI SMA KECAMATAN GRESIK

Adolescents were vulnerable to nutritional problems. Knowledge of nutrition, body image, and consumption of fast food are factors studied and analyzed for their significant level on the nutritional status of adolescents. The purpose of the study was analyzed the relationship between nutritional knowledge, body image, and consumption of fast food with the nutritional status of adolescent girls in Gresik District Senior High School. This type of research uses an analytical observational cross-sectional approach. In this study, the independent variables were knowledge of nutrition, body image, and consumption of fast food, while the dependent variable was nutritional status. The number of samples was as many as 124 respondents divided by each high school and each class. Data collection used questionnaires and anthropometric measurements. Data analysis used Spearman rank The results of the Spearman rank correlation test on the nutritional knowledge variable with nutritional status obtained P value = 0.660> 0.05. In the body image variable with nutritional status, the P value = 0.445>0.05. Then fast food consumption with nutritional status obtained P value = 0,568 > 0.05 In this study it can be concluded that the relationship between nutritional knowledge, body image, and fast food consumption with the nutritional status of adolescent girls in SMA District Gresik there is no significant relationship on nutritional status.

Malay Local Food Knowledge and Young Generation Practices in Johor

The purpose of the article is to disclose the demand of Malay traditional kuih with differing levels of acceptance among consumer in Peninsular Malaysia. Malaysia is well-known for being a diverse society with a wide variety of culinary characteristics. The Malay kuih became the traditional dessert in Malaysian cuisine due to a variety of historical influences. This study examined the quality, taste, and demand of traditional Malay kuih, particularly during festive occasions especially during wedding festivals. In needed to respond the research's objectives and complete the study, three independent variables were investigated. In addition, this study's methodology is consistent with the survey research design. This study used questionnaires to collect information from participants across Malaysia. 250 sets of the study's questionnaires were given out, and the analysis was performed using the window version of IBM's Statistical Package for the Social Science (SSPS) 27.0 programme. The results showed a positive association between the traditional dessert of Malaysia and the criteria of quality, taste, and demand. Besides, this article is hoped to contribute to further refining the traditional Malay food knowledge specifically in its kuih acceptance among the Malaysian society.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Healthcare Professionals in Relation to Diet and Nutrition Recommendations for Breast Cancer Prevention

A cross-sectional study was carried out among forty healthcare professionals working at oncology units in two hospitals (public and private) in Accra, Ghana to assess the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals in relation to diet and nutrition recommendations for breast cancer prevention. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain information on healthcare workers demographics, knowledge and attitudes on diet and nutrition for breast cancer prevention. Knowledge scores were calculated for all correct responses. Test of associations employed Pearson's correlation statistical tool with level of significance set at p < 0.05. Ninety percent of the healthcare professionals had average or above average total knowledge score. Majority of the healthcare professionals did not have knowledge about recommended alcohol limits for men (82.5%) and women (77.5%). More than half (57.5%) of the healthcare professionals did not have knowledge of high calorie foods. Dietary advice was perceived to be the responsibility of dieticians (72.5%); however, 90% of the healthcare professionals were willing to provide dietary advice. A very weak correlation was found between years in clinical practice post qualification and their nutrition knowledge (Pearson’s r = 0.008, p=0.178). Thirty-five percent of them reported lack of expertise as a barrier to providing dietary advice to patients. Whereas majority of the healthcare professionals had average or above knowledge of diet and nutrition recommendations for breast cancer prevention, few had sufficient practical nutrition knowledge. This highlights the need to include practical nutrition education in the training of healthcare professionals. Keywords: Nutrition knowledge, attitude, healthcare professionals, breast cancer DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/12-22-04 Publication date: November 30 th 2022

Evaluation of Knowledge of Food-Drug and Alcohol-Drug Interactions Among Undergraduate Students at King Saud University - An Observational Study.

The role of pharmacists in society is unique since they are providers of drug information and medication counseling to patients. Hence, the present study was designed to investigate the knowledge, of undergraduate pharmacy students regarding food drug (FDIs) and alcohol-drug interactions (ADIs) at King Saud University, Riyadh Saudi Arabia. An online cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate pharmacy students at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from October 2021 to January 2022, using self-administered 24-items questionnaires focused on evaluating the knowledge of FDIs and ADIs. Of the 200 questionnaires distributed, 142 students responded, of whom 40.8% (n = 58) of the students did not agree with the statement that patients can eat more green leafy vegetables with warfarin. Just over half 52.8% (n = 75) agreed that milk affects the efficacy of tetracycline. Regarding the students' knowledge about amiodarone interactions with grapefruit 43% (n = 61) of them were knowledgeable, while 43.7% (n = 62), knew that atorvastatin cannot be taken with grapefruit. A total of 44.4% (n = 63) of the students reported being knowledgeable about FDIs. In terms of the individual questions, Alcohol interactions with antihistamines and paracetamol received the highest percentages of 52.8% (n = 75) and 50.7% (n = 72), respectively, followed by warfarin and methotrexate (45.1%; 41.5%). In this study, 39.4% (n = 56) of the participants were found knowledgeable about ADIs. The overall knowledge of interactions among the students was 47.9% (n = 68). The total knowledgeable levels were significantly associated with educational levels and having previous information about interaction (p = 0.0001). In conclusion, undergraduate pharmacy students exhibited poor knowledge of FDIs and ADIs. As a result, more focus and effort should be given to raising awareness of potential FDIs and ADIs. Our study highlights the need for improving pharmacy students' knowledge about FDIs and ADIs.

Preferensi Mahasiswa di Kota Pontianak terhadap Makanan Tradisional Kalimantan Barat dan Perbandingan Komposisi Nutrisinya dengan Pangan Siap Saji

One aspect of cultural diversity is traditional food. Traditional food serves as a means of expressing thanks, performing cultural rituals, building kinship as well as being a source of nutrition. West Kalimantan is one of the multi-ethnic provinces in Indonesia, hence it offers a wide range of traditional foods. The existence of traditional food is threatened to be shifted or replaced by the presence of ready-to-eat food, which is intensively promoted in various media, with the main target being the young age group. This study aimed to determine student’s preferences in Pontianak towards traditional food in West Kalimantan and compare its nutritional composition with ready-to-eat food. This research was conducted using a survey to 150 respondents using online questionnaire. Data were analyzed by the Chi-Square program. The three types of traditional foods that respondents liked the most were tested for their nutritional composition and compared with the nutritional composition of ready-to-eat foods like chicken nugget, hamburger, and fried chicken. The results showed that students in Pontianak had a high preference (90.7%) for traditional West Kalimantan food. West Kalimantan's most preferred traditional foods were kerupuk basah (n=51), bubur pedas (n=49), and ikan asam pedas (n=25). The results showed a relationship between student preferences for food knowledge, nutritional information, taste, and appearance of traditional West Kalimantan foods. The nutritional composition test showed that, in general, traditional foods have higher water content and lower fat content than ready-to-eat food.

Knowledge, Messaging, and Selection of Whole-Grain Foods: Consumer and Food Industry Perspectives

ObjectiveTo explore whole-grain food definitions in labeling and relevance to consumers and the food industry. DesignSemistructured focus groups and interviews. SettingOnline. ParticipantsConsumers (n = 43) aged ≥ 18 years currently purchasing/consuming grain foods. Food industry participants (n = 17) currently/recently employed within grain food companies. Phenomenon of InterestImpact of using whole-grain food definitions in labeling. AnalysisInductive thematic analysis. ResultsSix major themes included: consumer knowledge and understanding of whole-grain foods; factors affecting consumer grain food choices; consumer skepticism of labeling; consumer preferences toward whole-grain labeling; acceptability and feasibility of whole-grain food definitions in the food industry; and food innovation/reformulation. For the food industry, definitions impact feasibility, food innovation, and reformulation. Skepticism affected consumer knowledge and understanding, impacting grain food choice and their preference regarding whole-grain labeling. Consumers preferred whole grain in the name of a food and placing the percent of whole grain on the front-of-pack. Conclusions and ImplicationsOur findings suggest that definitions and regulations, consumer education, and strategies addressing factors influencing consumer choice are needed to improve population whole-grain intakes. Future research may consider formal regulation and implementation of standardized whole-grain food definitions in labeling and explore the subsequent impact on consumer choice and whole-grain intake.

Nutrition Program Fidelity Assessment tool: a framework for optimising implementation in military dining facilities.

The aim was to develop, refine and assess the usefulness of the Go for Green® (G4G) 2.0 Program Fidelity Assessment (PFA) tool. G4G 2.0 is a Department of Defense programme designed to optimise access, availability and knowledge of high-performance nutritious foods in military dining facilities (DFAC). During a multi-site study to evaluate G4G 2.0 on meal quality and diner satisfaction, subject matter experts developed and refined a PFA tool based on eight programme requirements (PR). They identified tasks critical to programme success and corresponding benchmarks, then proposed expansion of several PR and developed a scoring system to assess adherence. Three PFA were conducted (Site 1, Site 2A and Site B). Two DFAC in the USA implementing the G4G 2.0 programme. Military DFAC participating in a G4G 2.0 evaluation study. After G4G 2.0 implementation, Site 1 conducted a PFA and met benchmarks for eight of fifteen sections. At Site 2, a PFA was conducted after G4G 2.0 implementation (Site 2A) and one 3 months later (Site 2B) with twelve of fifteen and ten of fifteen sections meeting benchmarks, respectively. Research highlights the need to maximise implementation quality to ensure interventions are effective, achievable and efficient. Using a PFA tool to objectively assess nutrition interventions can inform programme fidelity, successes and opportunities for improvement. Results identify key areas that require additional training and resources to optimise access to nutrient-dense foods that support nutritional fitness. This feedback is critical for assessing potential programme impact on Service Members.

Anemia Awareness, Causes, and Prevention among Pregnant Women at Asogbon Phc, Bariga, Lagos State, Nigeria

Anemia has been identified as a serious public health problem in both developed and developing countries, affecting around 2 billion people and accounting for threequarters of a million fatalities per year in Africa and Southeast Asia. Anemia in pregnancy is common, according to research from around the world. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of awareness, causes, and prevention of anemia in pregnancy among pregnant mothers attending Asogbon PHC Bariga in Lagos State, Nigeria. A well-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The respondents were given a questionnaire. One hundred and nine (109) questionnaires were distributed, collected, and analyzed by respondents. The study's data was examined and processed with the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) V21. To assess participant characteristics and offer responses to the study's research questions, descriptive analysis, frequency, average, and percentage were employed. The study discovered that knowledge about anemia signs, vulnerability, food, and prenatal visits was good, but information about causes and perceived effects of anemia was inadequate. According to the findings, the most common known cause of the condition is a poor diet, followed by malaria, worm infestations, and other factors. Despite widespread recognition that poor diet is the leading cause of anemia in pregnancy, there is little information about food sources that can assist in combating the disease. Also, less than half of those who profess knowledge of anemia-fighting foods eat them throughout pregnancy. The study found that the pregnant women were of reproductive age and had completed secondary and higher secondary school. The study revealed that while there was good awareness and prevention of anemia in pregnancy, To obtain a better feto-maternal outcome in pregnancy, there is a need to raise awareness about anemia in pregnancy and implement effective health education programs on anemia prevention.

Using Topology Concept of Mathematics and Finite Element Method of Engineering to Develop a Mathematical Model of Metabolism in medicine in order to Control Various Chronic Diseases and their Complications via Overall Health Conditions Improvement Based on GH-Method: Math-Physical Medicine (No. 453)

The author spent 11 years with more than 30,000 hours to self-study and research chronic diseases and lifestyle details in order to control his severe type 2 diabetes (T2D) and various diabetic complications. After self-studying endocrinology and food nutrition for 4 years, from 2010 to 2013, he applied the learned medicine and food knowledge combined with his background of four academic disciplines and practical experiences on mathematics, physics, engineering, and computer science (big data analytics and artificial intelligence) to develop a mathematical model of metabolism during the entire year of 2014. He continued with his development effort of several prediction tools for weight, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PPG), daily glucose, and HbA1C in 2015-2016. Starting from 2017, he started to write papers based on his findings from his research and then published them in various journals. This particular metabolism model includes 10 major categories: 4 medical conditions including weight (M1), glucose (M2), blood pressure (M3), lipids (M4); with 6 lifestyle details including exercise (M5), water intake (M6), sleep (M7), stress (M8), food and meal (M9), and life routines regularity (M10). These 10 categories contain approximately 500 input and output elements. For example, he spent 9 months on developing the stress category with 34 elements. The total number of data collected and processed during the past 10 years have already exceeded 2 million. During 2015 to 2021, for a period of 6.5 years, he applied many theories and techniques from mathematics, physics, and engineering into his medical research work. This included topology, nonlinear algebra, finite element method, linear elastic theory, wave theory, energy theory, quantum mechanics, optical physics, statistics, machine learning, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI). These various theories and techniques have effectively served as his research tools in order to complete many of the medical research tasks. As a result, his collected personal data of both biomarkers and lifestyle details were utilized to illustrate the development process of building a metabolism model of medicine using topology concept of mathematics, finite element method of engineering along with other applicable theories and principles of physics (applied math) and engineering (applied physics). This paper describes the author’s selected approach of building a mathematical model of metabolism. It uses the topology concept, part of finite element engineering modeling technique, applicable theories and principles from physics and engineering, such as optical physics, energy theory, wave theory, linear elasticity, perturbation theory of quantum mechanics, and various computer science and AI tools to investigate and develop a rather complicated metabolism model in a highly quantitative manner. Optimistically and pleasantly, it has actually achieved certain high prediction accuracy in results based on a simple concept but rather general scope of “Metabolism”.

Fruit and Vegetable Intake Is Associated with Food Knowledge among Children Aged 9-14 Years in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.

Interventions to improve dietary quality and intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) among Canadian children have had modest success, and it has been suggested that food knowledge could be key to improvement. Programs have been criticized for insufficiently connecting food knowledge with food skills and decision making about dietary intake. The objective of this study was to investigate factors associated with FV consumption by elementary school children, aged 9–14 years, in Ontario, Canada, including food knowledge, socioeconomic status, sociodemographic characteristics, and the food environment. In 2017–2019, a cross-sectional survey was administered to 2443 students at 60 elementary schools across Southwestern Ontario (SWO), Canada. A parent survey was used to validate self-reported sociodemographic variables. The mean intake of FV reported by these participants was 2.6 (SD 1.1) and 2.4 (SD 1.2) servings/day, respectively. A FV intake below WHO guidelines was reported by 40.7% of respondents. Knowledge score, child age, and parent employment status significantly predicted higher reported intake of FV. This study shows that FV intake among this population group is low, and increased intake is associated with higher food knowledge. To encourage healthy eating, school-based food and nutrition programs that incorporate multiple components and emphasize food literacy are needed.

Traditional and Local Food Knowledge on the Island of Cyprus

Traditional and Local Food Knowledge on the Island of Cyprus

The influence of sustainable design on food well-being

PurposeThis study investigates the effects of sustainable design on food policy, literacy, and socialisation to gauge consumers' satisfaction with the general design of food well-being (FWB).Design/methodology/approachUsing data from an online survey with 382 respondents, an empirical study applying composite-based structural equation modelling was conducted. Sustainable design for food socialisation was hypothesised to directly influence consumers' satisfaction with the general design of FWB, whereas food policy was assumed to have an emergent effect on food literacy. Gender was a control variable used to identify the heterogeneity of the effects.FindingsThe results demonstrated that sustainable design for food policy and food literacy positively influence food socialisation and affect consumers' satisfaction with the sustainable design for FWB. Additionally, women exhibited higher application of food knowledge and skills but less experience in FWB than men.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors knowledge, this study is the first to examine the emergent influence of food policy from a design perspective, with implications for industrial practitioners, policymakers, and academic research. This study also provides possible avenues for future sustainability and food product design research.

Diseño y desarrollo de una intervención dietética en niños con prediabetes

IntroductionPrediabetes is a pathological condition where the blood glucose concentration is higher than normal concentrations, but lower than those considered in the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Until a few years ago, the prediabetes condition occurred in adults with associated risk factors such as overweight or obesity, sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, cardiovascular problems, etc. In recent years it has begun to be detected in children, with the family habits that these children have established becoming increasingly important. Material and methodsIn our study, 29 pre-diabetic children from Pedro Abad, Córdoba, have been evaluated. For this, we have carried out a randomized crossover trial with an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG), using a dietary intervention with nutritional reinforcement. The main objective of the present study was to determine if the eating habits of pre-diabetic children improved with a dietary intervention based on nutritional education. ResultsThrough a nutritional evaluation through different tests and visits made to the children, the results corresponding to the first phase of the study, relate an improvement in eating habits and adherence to the Mediterranean Diet by the intervened children. ConclusionsThe eating habits of pre-diabetic children improve with a dietary intervention based on nutritional education, since by providing them with knowledge of the different foods and the contribution of nutrients that they provide us, they can make a better selection of foods.

Food insecurity and its determinants in a vulnerable area of Santiago, Chile

This study aims to identify the determinants associated to food insecurity in a group of households composed of schoolchildren and their mothers/caregivers, who lived in a low-to-medium community development index area of the city of Santiago, Chile with a high presence of migrant population. The non-probabilistic and convenience sample was made up of 646 people, who answered a series of surveys with the aim of characterizing this group in sociodemographic terms (sex, age, number of inhabitants in the household, place of food purchase, conditional or non-conditional state transfer program beneficiary status, persons in charge of purchasing food for the household, mothers/caregivers education level and basic knowledge of food and nutrition). To assess moderate-to-severe food insecurity and severe food insecurity, the Food Insecurity Experience Scale-FIES was applied between September and October 2021. Logistic regression analysis were used to carry out multivariate analyses, with the use of stepwise back-and-forward strategies for the selected variables and defining p < 0.05. These models were adjusted per number of inhabitants in the household. The results indicate that 25.4% of households presented moderate-to-severe food insecurity, and 6.4% severe food insecurity experience. The variables that presented significant odds of risk to food insecurity were being a migrant, low maternal education level, low performance on basic knowledge in nutrition and when the father was responsible for food purchases. Several public policies have been implemented in Chile during the most recent decades aimed at increasing access to healthier foods and the implementation of healthier food environments. Despite this, there are still social and economic health determinants that contribute to the risk of odds insecurity for the most vulnerable groups in the country, thus putting at risk the fulfillment of the human right to adequate food at risk.

Analysis of spot urine biomarkers and association with body weight in Japanese elementary schoolchildren

Childhood obesity is rapidly increasing worldwide and is largely the consequence of adoption of unhealthy diets excessive in calories and salt (NaCl) as well as devoid in pivotal micronutrients such as potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg). Education-based programs aiming to encourage healthy food knowledge and behaviors are crucial at a young age, and for this purpose, convenient ways to assess daily dietary intake are warranted. We therefore attempted to evaluate the dietary intake of Okinawan schoolchildren in Japan by analyzing a series of biomarkers in morning spot urine samples and explore whether these biomarkers correlate with body weight and a series of metabolic parameters. We enrolled 98 third-grade elementary schoolchildren in Okinawa, Japan. Morning spot urine samples were collected and analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to assess dietary intake. We found that estimated daily NaCl intake was higher in obese/overweight children as compared to healthy-weight children (p = 0.0001). There was also a significant positive correlation between body mass index (BMI) and NaCl intake (Spearman) (ρ = 0.45, p < 0.0001) and a negative correlation between BMI and Mg/Cr (ρ = −0.27, p = 0.01). Furthermore, Na/K ratio was higher in samples collected on Monday (weekend) as compared to samples collected on Thursday or Friday (weekday) (p < 0.0001).Conclusion: Via the use of morning spot urine analyses, our results show that NaCl intake was associated with obesity, and Mg excretion negatively correlated with BMI in Japanese schoolchildren, highlighting the potential role of these micronutrients in maintaining a healthy body weight.What is Known:•Overweight and obesity are largely due to excessive consumption of calories and positively correlated with salt (NaCl) intake.•Spot urine methods are convenient for assessing the nutritional needs and targeting prevention programs in children.What is New:•Utilizing morning spot urine analyses, estimated NaCl intake is positively correlated and Mg/Cr negatively correlated with BMI in Okinawan schoolchildren.•As estimated via morning spot urine samples, a greater proportion of children likely exceeds the recommended NaCl intake on the weekend as compared to weekday.

Influence of food safety concerns on safe food purchasing at rural and urban consumers in Bangladesh

Food contamination and food adulteration are widely known public health issues in Bangladesh. This research explores consumers' perceptions of food hazards and safe food purchasing strategies. The study uses data from a survey of 450 primary household food purchasers in an urban supermarket and two traditional bazaars in urban and regional areas. This study explored the differences between consumers in urban and regional areas. The urban supermarket consumers showed more significant concerns about food hazards and safe food purchasing strategies than consumers at the urban and regional bazaars. Urban consumers indicated a higher food safety perception, whereas regional consumers were concerned about food safety deterioration. This study finds that urban supermarket consumers considered biological food hazards more during food purchasing than the regional bazaar. Most of the consumers in this study were concerned about chemical food hazards such as formalin and pesticide residues, and these consumers considered food purchasing factors such as tastes and expiry dates more while purchasing food. On the other hand, consumers concerned about biological hazards emphasised food purchasing place and product origin. Urban and regional bazaar consumers considered prices more than urban supermarket consumers. The study also explores sociodemographic variations, such as women having more concern about chemical food hazards than men and people with less formal education levels showing less concern about food hazards. Therefore, dissemination of safe food knowledge, adequate infrastructure, monitoring, and policymaking are some immediate necessary steps to improve food safety situations and safe food accessibility in Bangladesh.