Inadequate Fruit Consumption Research Articles

Urban-rural differences in food consumption and central obesity among middle-aged adults: A cross-sectional population study in Indonesia

Background: The prevalence of central obesity is increasing in many regions, including low- and middle-income countries. It has been identified that a poor diet has become a significant risk factor for central obesity. However, the relationship between diet and the prevalence of central obesity among rural and urban communities remains unclear in low- and middle-income countries. Aim: This study aimed to analyze the association of food consumption with central obesity among middle-aged adults (45–59 years) in urban and rural areas in Indonesia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using secondary data from a national survey (Indonesia Basic Health Survey) in Indonesia in 2018. A total of 154,449 subjects were analyzed for the study. We used the International Diabetes Federation to define central obesity. Food consumption was measured using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the association between food consumption and central obesity. Results: Frequent consumption of refined desserts, fried food, processed food, and inadequate consumption of fruit was significantly associated with central obesity in urban and rural areas ( p < 0.05). In contrast, frequent consumption of seasoning and inadequate consumption of vegetables was significantly associated with central obesity only in rural areas ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: Food consumption has a different association with central obesity risk in rural and urban areas in Indonesia.

The association between maternal fruit consumption before and during pregnancy and fetal growth: The Lanzhou birth cohort study

BackgroundThe association between maternal fruit consumption and fetal growth remains inconsistent. The current study aimed to determine whether maternal fruit consumption was associated with low birth weight (LBW) or small for gestational age (SGA) babies. MethodsA large birth cohort study was conducted in Lanzhou, China, from 2010 to 2012 and included 10,076 pregnant women at the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester of pregnancy for analysis. Fruit consumption in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester of pregnancy was measured by a self-designed food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and divided into three groups: 1) inadequate fruit consumption: <200 g/d for the1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester; 2) adequate fruit consumption: 200–350 g/d for the 1st trimester or 200–400 g/d for the 2nd and 3rd trimester; 3) excessive fruit consumption: >350 g/d for the 1st trimester or > 400 g/d for the 2nd and 3rd trimester. A case-control study was used to analyze the association between fruit intake during pregnancy and low birth weight infants. ResultsCompared to adequate fruit consumption, excessive fruit consumption throughout each trimester of pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of LBW, with an odds ratio (OR) ranging from 0.70 to 0.79 (95 % confidence interval, CI: 0.57–0.98); while inadequate fruit consumption was associated with a higher risk of infant LBW, with an OR ranging from 1.26 to 1.36 (95%CI: 1.04–1.66). After stratifying by mother's pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), the results were similar among women with underweight BMI. No significance was found between fruit consumption and SGA in the general population. Still, stratified analyses showed that inadequate fruit consumption was associated with an increased risk of SGA in underweight mothers, with an OR ranging from 1.66 to 1.79 (95%CI: 1.13–2.64). ConclusionsFruit consumption during pregnancy reduces the risk of LBW in Chinese women, especially in women with low pre-pregnancy BMI.

Prevalence and perception of pre-morbid lifestyle-related risk factors among covid-19 survivors in Lagos state and Abuja capital city of Nigeria

IntroductionThis study investigated the prevalence and perception of premorbid lifestyle-related risk factors among Covid-19 Survivors in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria.MethodologyA cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used to collect data from 522 consenting adult Covid-19 survivors in Abuja (274) and Lagos (248), Nigeria, using a self-developed, close-ended and validated questionnaire called the Lifestyle-related Factors in Covid-19 Questionnaire (LFC-19 Questionnaire) through a multistage sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) with P value set at ≤ 0.05. Ethical approval was obtained for the study.ResultsA significant number of Covid-19 Survivors were overweight/obese (67.8%) and had a history of physical inactivity (73.8%). A small proportion had premorbid chronic diseases (23.8%) as well as pre-existing lifestyle-related risk factors such as inadequate consumption of fruits (67.2%) and vegetables (60.0%) and physical inactivity (73.8%).ConclusionThis study revealed that most Covid-19 survivors residing in Lagos State and in Abuja capital city of Nigeria were either overweight or obese. This was due to physical inactivity, an unhealthy diet consisting of low fruit and vegetable consumption and poor sleep. Additionally, the study showed that patients’ perceptions of their risk factors were often inaccurate as it differed from what was measured. The findings from this study will assist public health professionals and clinicians in designing and implementing more effective Covid-19 management strategies that incorporate healthy lifestyle practices and lifestyle modifications and assist public health promotion and communication specialists in designing appropriate and evidence-based preventive messages.

Low Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) Among Adolescents in Vietnam Is Due to Inadequate Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables Rather Than High Consumption of Unhealthy Foods

Low Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) Among Adolescents in Vietnam Is Due to Inadequate Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables Rather Than High Consumption of Unhealthy Foods

Prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and their risk factors in an informal settlement in Freetown, Sierra Leone: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundNoncommunicable diseases (NCDs), especially hypertension and diabetes mellitus are on the increase in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Informal settlement dwellers exhibit a high prevalence of behavioural risk factors and are highly vulnerable to hypertension and diabetes. However, no study has assessed the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and NCDrisk factors among informal settlement dwellers in Sierra Leone. We conducted a study in June 2019 to determine the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and NCD risk factors among adults living in the largest Sierra Leonean informal settlement (KrooBay).Methods and materialsWe conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey among adults aged ≥ 35 years in the KrooBay community. Trained healthcare workers collected data on socio-demographic characteristics and self-reported health behaviours using the World Health Organization STEPwise surveillance questionnaire for chronic disease risk factors. Anthropometric, blood glucose, and blood pressure measurements were performed following standard procedures. Logistics regression was used for analysis and adjusted odd ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to identify risk factors associated with hypertension.ResultsOf the 418 participants, 242 (57%) were females and those below the age of 45 years accounted for over half (55.3%) of the participants. The prevalence of smoking was 18.2%, alcohol consumption was 18.8%, overweight was 28.2%, obesity was 17.9%, physical inactivity was 81.5%, and inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables was 99%. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 45.7% (95% CI 41.0-50.5%), systolic hypertension was 34.2% (95% CI 29.6–38.8%), diastolic blood pressure was 39.9% (95% CI 35.2–44.6), and participants with diabetes were 2.2% (95% CI 0.7–3.6%). Being aged ≥ 55 years (AOR = 7.35, 95% CI 1.49–36.39) and > 60 years (AOR 8.05; 95% CI 2.22–29.12), separated (AOR = 1.34; 95% 1.02–7.00), cohabitating (AOR = 6.68; 95% CL1.03-14.35), vocational (AOR = 3.65; 95% CI 1.81–7.39 ) and having a university education (AOR = 4.62; 95% CI 3.09–6.91) were found to be independently associated with hypertension.ConclusionThe prevalence of hypertension,and NCD risk factors was high among the residents of the Kroobay informal settlement. We also noted a low prevalence of diabetes. There is an urgent need for the implementation of health education, promotion, and screening initiatives to reduce health risks so that these conditions will not overwhelm health services.

Co-occurrence of behavioural risk factors fornon-communicable diseases among 40-year and above aged community members in three regions of Myanmar.

Risky behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables are known contributing factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which account for 74% of global mortality. Such behavioural risk factors co-occur frequently resulting in synergistic action for developing NCD related morbidity and mortality. This study aims to assess the existence of multiple risk behaviours and determine the socio-economic and demographic factors associated with co-occurrence of behavioural risks among Myanmar adult population. Data were collected, in the context of the SUNI-SEA project (Scaling Up NCD interventions in Southeast Asia), from 660 community members aged 40 years and above of both sexes, residing in selected urban and rural areas from Ayeyawaddy, Yangon and Mandalay regions of Myanmar. The co-occurrence of behavioural risk factors was presented as percentage with 95% CI and its determinants were identified by multinomial logistic regression. The co-occurrence of two risk behaviours and three or four risk behaviours were found in 40% (95% CI: 36.2%, 43.9%) and 10.8% (95% CI: 8.5%, 13.4%) respectively. Urban residents, men, participants without formal schooling and unemployed persons were more likely to exhibit co-occurrence of two risk behaviors and three or four risk behaviours. The current study shows high prevalence of co-occurrence of behavioural risk factors among Myanmar adults in the study area. NCD prevention and control programs emphasizing management of behavioural risks should be intensively promoted, particularly directed towards multiple behavioural risk factors, and not focused on individual factors only.

Association of food consumption and physical activity with metabolic syndrome according to central obesity status in Indonesian adults: A cross-sectional study

Background: Previous studies have reported that the risk of metabolic syndrome differs between obese and non-obese individuals based on food consumption and physical activity.Objective: This study aims to analyze differences in the association of food consumption and physical activity with the incidence of metabolic syndrome in individuals with and without central obesity.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study examined individuals aged 19 to 64 years using Riskesdas 2018 data. Sample characteristics, including smoking habits, alcohol consumption, food consumption, physical activity, anthropometric data, clinical data, and biochemical data were collected for univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Logistic regression was used as a multivariate analysis to investigate the association of food consumption and physical activity with the risk of metabolic syndrome in individuals with and without central obesity. Results: In this study, individuals with and without central obesity significantly increased risk of metabolic syndrome (p&lt;0.05) due to consuming nearly all kinds of unhealthy foods (sweet foods, savory foods, fatty/cholesterol-rich/fried foods, grilled foods, processed meat/chicken/fish, soft drinks/carbonated drinks, energy drinks, and instant noodles/other instant foods). However, only individuals without central obesity who frequently consume seasonings (OR=1.519, 95% CI: 1.241-1.859) have a significant association with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Meanwhile, only individuals with central obesity who often consume sugary drinks (OR=1.315, 95% CI: 1.132-1.529) are significantly associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. In addition, inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables as well as lack of physical activity also significantly increase the risk of metabolic syndrome in individuals with and without central obesity (p&lt;0.05).Conclusion: Only the consumption of seasonings and sugary drinks shows a different relationship to the risk of metabolic syndrome in individuals with and without central obesity.

Anemia in female adolescents at Karanganyar regency: A cross-sectional study associated with polymorphism of duodenal cytochrome B gene and daily consumptions of fruits and vegetables.

The prevalence of anemia in female adolescents increases every year. A duodenal Cytochrome B (CYBRD1) enzyme is involved in the regulation of iron metabolism. G797A gene polymorphism of the CYBRD1 reduces nonheme iron transport into the enterocytes, which was mediated by the divalent metal transporter 1 protein. Daily consumption of fruits and vegetables has been recommended for the prevention of non- communicable diseases, including anemia. This study aimed to analyze the association of CYBRD1 polymorphism and daily consumption of fruits and vegetables with anemia in female adolescents in the Karanganyar regency. This cross-sectional study recruited 233 female students in 6 senior and vocational high schools in Karanganyar regency, which were selected using purposive sampling. Data on fruit and vegetable consumption were collected using Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ). Polymorphism of the G797A CYBRD1 gene was determined using the amplification refractory mutation system polymerase chain reaction. All collected data were analyzed using chi-square and multiple logistic regression tests with p < 0.05. Anemia was found in 13.73% of female students. Inadequate intakes of fruits and vegetables were found in 63.09 and 51.07% of female students, respectively. The AA genotype (OR = 5.779; 95%CI: 0.974-34.289; p = 0.053), inadequate fruit consumption (OR = 1.497; 95%CI: 0.603-3.718; p = 0.133), and inadequate vegetable consumption (OR = 11.99; 95%CI: 3.457-41.586; p < 0.001) increased higher risk of anemia, compared with their counterparts. G797A CYBRD1 gene polymorphism and daily consumption of vegetables increase the risk of anemia but not for daily consumption of fruits in female adolescents in the Karanganyar regency.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Prehypertension and Hypertension Among Adults: Baseline Findings of PURE Malaysia Cohort Study

BackgroundAlthough prehypertension and hypertension can be detected at the primary healthcare level and low-cost treatments can effectively control its complications, hypertension is still the world's leading preventable risk factor. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine its prevalence and its risk factors among Malaysian adults. MethodsA cross-sectional study involving 7585 adults was performed covering the rural and urban areas. Respondents with systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 120-139 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of 80-89 mmHg were categorized as prehypertensive, and hypertensive categorization was used for respondents with an SBP of ≥140 mmHg and/or DBP of ≥90 mmHg. ResultsRespondents reported to have prehypertension and hypertension were 40.7% and 38.0%, respectively. Those residing in a rural area, older age, male, family history of hypertension, and overweight or obese were associated with higher odds of prehypertension and hypertension. Unique to hypertension, the factors included low educational level (AOR: 1.349; 95% CI: 1.146, 1.588), unemployment (1.350; 1.16, 1.572), comorbidity of diabetes (1.474; 1.178, 1.844), and inadequate fruit consumption (1.253; 1.094, 1.436). ConclusionsAs the prehypertensive state may affect the prevalence of hypertension, proactive strategies are needed to increase early detection of the disease among specific group of those residing in a rural area, older age, male, family history of hypertension, and overweight or obese.

Reviewing Publicly Available Reports on Child Health Disparities in Indigenous and Remote Communities of Australia.

Developing programs that ensure a safe start to life for Indigenous children can lead to better health outcomes. To create effective strategies, governments must have accurate and up-to-date information. Accordingly, we reviewed the health disparities of Australian children in Indigenous and remote communities using publicly available reports. A thorough search was performed on Australian government and other organisational websites (including the Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS] and the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW]), electronic databases [MEDLINE] and grey literature sites for articles, documents and project reports related to Indigenous child health outcomes. The study showed Indigenous dwellings had higher rates of crowding when compared to non-Indigenous dwellings. Smoking during pregnancy, teenage motherhood, low birth weight and infant and child mortality were higher among Indigenous and remote communities. Childhood obesity (including central obesity) and inadequate fruit consumption rates were also higher in Indigenous children, but Indigenous children from remote and very remote areas had a lower rate of obesity. Indigenous children performed better in physical activity compared to non-Indigenous children. No difference was observed in vegetable consumption rates, substance-use disorders or mental health conditions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Future interventions for Indigenous children should focus on modifiable risk factors, including unhealthy housing, perinatal adverse health outcomes, childhood obesity, poor dietary intake, physical inactivity and sedentary behaviours.

Co-occurrence of behavioural risk factors for non-communicable diseases among 40-year and above aged community members in three regions of Myanmar

Background: Risky behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables are known contributing factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which account for 74% of global mortality. Such behavioural risk factors co-occur frequently resulting in synergistic action for developing NCD related morbidity and mortality. This study aims to assess the existence of multiple risk behaviours and determine the socio-economic and demographic factors associated with co-occurrence of behavioural risks among Myanmar adult population. Method: Data were collected, in the context of the SUNI-SEA project (Scaling Up NCD interventions in Southeast Asia), from 660 community members aged 40 years and above of both sexes, residing in selected urban and rural areas from Ayeyawaddy, Yangon and Mandalay regions of Myanmar. The co-occurrence of behavioural risk factors was presented as percentage with 95% CI and its determinants were identified by multinomial logistic regression. Results: The co-occurrence of two risk behaviours and three or four risk behaviours were found in 40% (95% CI: 36.2%, 43.9%) and 10.8% (95% CI: 8.5%, 13.4%) respectively. Urban residents, men, participants without formal schooling and unemployed persons were more likely to exhibit co-occurrence of two risk behaviors and three or four risk behaviours. Conclusion: The current study shows high prevalence of co-occurrence of behavioural risk factors among Myanmar adults in the study area. NCD prevention and control programs emphasizing management of behavioural risks should be intensively promoted, particularly directed towards multiple behavioural risk factors, and not focused on individual factors only.

Post-migration food habits of New Zealand South Asian migrants: Implications for health promotion practice

IntroductionSouth Asian migrants in western countries have a high risk for diet related diseases post-migration. Hence knowledge on food habits that change post-migration, which are detrimental to health, are critical for health promotion initiatives to reduce this disease burden. Objectiveto describe food consumption changes post-migration according to sex and duration of residence in New Zealand among South Asian migrants. MethodsA cross-sectional mail survey of 150 self-selected people of South Asian ethnicity aged 25–59 years in New Zealand. ResultsThe study achieved responses from 112 participants (75%) with a mean age of 36 (7.5) years. Consumption of green leafy vegetables reduced post-migration for females and in new migrants (P < 0.05). Fruit consumption increased in both genders and across duration of residence (P < 0.05). Only 15% of males and 36% of females met the 3 + a day recommendation for vegetable consumption. Consumption of traditional breads, breakfast items and rice (males) decreased whilst that of breakfast cereals increased (P < 0.05). Consumption of low-fat milk, cheese, ice-cream, butter (females) and margarine increased, whilst ghee decreased (P < 0.05). Consumption of fish, lentils, traditional sweets and savouries decreased, whilst meat, processed meat, chicken, potato chips, cakes and pastries (females) and alcohol (males) increased (P < 0.05), post-migration. Thirty-three percent of males and 24% of females consumed takeaways “weekly or more often”, with the majority (male: 51%; female: 36%) consuming European foods such as pizzas and pastas. Thirteen percent of males and 26% of females consumed festival foods “weekly or more often.” More than half the participants were obese with BMI increasing with duration of residence (P = 0.025). ConclusionsA food-based health promotion initiative focused on inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables, increased consumption of dairy foods such as cheese and ice cream, and high fat European takeaway foods would be warranted particularly in new South Asian migrants.

Prevalence of nutrition risk and associated risk factors among New Zealand pre-school children.

To determine the prevalence of nutrition risk using the validated, Nutrition Screening Tool for Every Pre-schooler (NutriSTEP) among pre-school children in New Zealand (NZ) and to identify socio-demographic factors associated with nutrition risk. Parents/caregivers of NZ pre-school children (aged 2-5 years) completed an online survey including NutriSTEP, both parent and child height and weight, as well as socio-demographic characteristics. The 17-item NutriSTEP responses were scored between 0 and 4; where item scores ≥2 indicate risk, and the maximum score is 68. Participants were stratified into low-risk (score ≤ 20) and moderate to high-risk (score > 20) groups. Strength of associations between nutrition risk and socio-demographic characteristics were explored using binary regression analysis. Of 505 pre-school children, 96 (19%) were at moderate to high risk (median interquartile range NutriSTEP score 24 [22-26]) and 409 (81%) were at low risk (score 13 [10-16]). Pre-school children at highest risk were non-NZ European (P=0.002), with solo parents (P=0.002), from households with incomes ≤$50 000 (P ≤ 0.021) and with non-university educated parents (P ≤ 0.0001). More than 30% of pre-schoolers were at high risk for inadequate consumption of fruit, vegetables, grains, milk products, meat and meat alternatives, as well as exposure to screens during meals and overuse of supplements. A fifth of NZ pre-school children were at moderate to high nutrition risk and may not have met the nutrition guidelines. Economic and ethnic disparities were apparent. Using NutriSTEP may assist to identify NZ pre-school children at highest nutrition risk who may benefit from appropriate nutrition support.

Factors associated with inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables among users of Primary Health Care in Brazil

Introdução: O consumo inadequado de frutas e hortaliças (FH) pode derivar de questões individuais, culturais, socioeconômicas e ambientais. Objetivo: Este estudo tem como objetivo identificar os fatores associados ao consumo inadequado de frutas e hortaliças entre homens e mulheres na Atenção Primária à Saúde brasileira. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal com amostra representativa do Programa Academia da Saúde - PAS. O consumo de FH foi avaliado por um questionário validado, incluindo a frequência e o número de porções consumidas. O consumo inadequado foi classificado como frutas &lt;3 porções/dia; hortaliças&lt;2 porções/dia. Foram investigados o perfil sociodemográfico, de saúde, antropométrico, erelacionado à compra de frutas e hortaliças. Resultados: O consumo inadequado de frutas (mulheres: 61,4%; homens: 68,1%) e hortaliças (mulheres: 40,6%; homens: 51,1%) foi elevado. Entre as mulheres, os fatores associados ao consumo inadequado de FH foram: ser idosa, considerar a sua qualidade de vida como boa e ter conhecimento sobre a safra dos alimentos; e para frutas, ter diabetes. Para os homens, os fatores associados ao consumo inadequado de frutas foram: ser idoso e tentativa atual de emagrecer; e para hortaliças, qualidade de vida boa e risco de complicações metabólicas. Conclusão: Foram identificados fatores iguais e diferentes para mulheres e homens associados ao consumo inadequado de FH. Esses resultados mostram a importância de ações de promoção da alimentação saudável que considerem as diferenças no consumo desses alimentos de acordo com o sexo dos participantes.

Associations of childhood and adult socioeconomic circumstances with recommended food habits among young and midlife Finnish employees

BackgroundDisadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances are associated with certain unhealthy food habits such as inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetables. This study examined whether multiple socioeconomic measures are consistently associated with a variety of food habits.MethodsWe examined associations of 2 childhood and 6 adult socioeconomic measures with 8 recommended food habits among 19–39-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland. The data were collected in 2017 via online and mailed surveys. Our sample consisted of 4621 employees (80% women). The analyses included adjusted binary logistic regression models.ResultsMore advantaged socioeconomic circumstances were positively associated with the recommended consumption of vegetables, fruit or berries, dark bread, skimmed milk products, fish, and cooking oil, but not consistently with red or processed meat and fat spread. All socioeconomic measures were positively associated with having several (6–8) recommended food habits after gender and age adjustments. The strongest associations were found for participant’s education, occupational class, and current financial difficulties. These associations remained after adjustments of childhood and adult socioeconomic measures, although especially participant’s education attenuated the associations for occupational class.ConclusionsThe consistent associations between multiple childhood and adult socioeconomic measures and food habits found among employees highlight the need for improving food habits among people with disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances in particular. Financial barriers together with social aspects of adhering to healthy diets should be considered in future dietary interventions and policy actions.

Dietary Practices among Adolescents in a Rural Area in Kerala

BACKGROUND&#x0D; The rapid physical growth and development in adolescence are associated with increased nutritional needs and this depends on the dietary pattern and eating habits of the adolescents. Adolescence is also a period of increased vulnerability to obesity which is not only linked to food intake but also due to a lack of physical activity in the growing years. Dietary habits that are established during adolescence are often sustained till adulthood. Hence the purpose of the study was to understand the prevalence of unhealthy dietary practices among adolescents that could enable schools to create a health-promoting culture by teaching healthy food choices and creating awareness of the ill effects of unhealthy dietary practices.&#x0D; METHODS&#x0D; A cross-sectional study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire among adolescents in the age group 15 to 17 years in a panchayat in Kerala. The socio-demographic characteristics, the family details and dietary practices were recorded, height and weight were measured, and BMI was calculated and ELIZ health pathway for adolescents (EPHA) was used for categorising the study participants. A diet score was also calculated to estimate the prevalence of unhealthy dietary practices among adolescents.&#x0D; RESULTS&#x0D; The prevalence of inadequate consumption of fruits was 60.9 % and inadequate consumption of vegetables was 36.9 %. Based on the dietary score, 36.7 % had poor dietary habits and 36.6 % had good dietary habits. A significant association was found between the type of school, occupation of mother, educational status of parents, type of family and inadequate consumption of fruits and vegetables.&#x0D; CONCLUSIONS&#x0D; An unhealthy lifestyle does not just appear in adulthood, it stems from practices children develop during their childhood and adolescence. Awareness regarding the risk factors of non-communicable diseases should be provided to children to enable primordial and primary prevention as powerful tools to prevent these diseases in future.

Barriers and Facilitators of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Nigerian Adults in a Faith-Based Setting: A Pre-Intervention Qualitative Inquiry.

Background:Inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetable is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality associated with non-communicable diseases (NCDs). An understanding of the barriers and facilitators to consumption is important for effectiveness of intervention in Africa. We present insights among church members before developing a church-based multi-component intervention to address the inadequate consumption of fruit and vegetable. Methods: We conducted eighteen focus group discussions among 163 church members. All discussions were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and were analyzed for thematic content. Results:We identified five main themes; Personal: awareness and knowledge of benefits, choice, habits, and curiosity, dietary restrictions and gastrointestinal symptoms following fruit and vegetable consumption. Familial: practices promoting the ready availability of fruit and vegetables in the home or habits that encourage children to eat vegetables as they transition into adulthood, pre-existing health problems of family members and the long preparation time of some traditional vegetables. Socio-cultural: Cultural practices that encourage F&V consumption, the high cost of fruits and vegetables, alternatives foregone, and cultural taboos. Environmental: inadequate farmland and storage facilities, seasonality of several fruit and vegetables, and sharp practices of force-ripening with chemicals. Church-related: inadequate space provided by the church for arable cultivation and lack of knowledge of the benefits among church leaders, church activities that involve serving fruits and vegetables and the biblical support for the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Conclusion:It is essential to leverage practices that promote fruit and vegetable intake and address barriers mentioned by the participants when designing such interventions.

ASSOCIATION OF DIETARY AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS ON BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL AMONG ADULT HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS ATTENDING A UGANDAN TERTIARY HOSPITAL

Hypertension is an important worldwide public-health challenge due to its high prevalence and being a risk factor for cerebrovascular, cardiovascular, and chronic renal diseases. Despite these risk factors, blood pressure control among hypertensive patients is still poor. The main objective was to assess dietary and lifestyle factors associated with uncontrolled blood pressure control among Ugandan hypertensive patients at Kiruddu hospital. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study involving 271 adult hypertensive patients attending the outpatient hypertensive clinic was enrolled. Data were obtained on dietary, lifestyle factors (alcohol intake, smoking status, and level of physical activity), social demographics, Body Mass Index (BMI), comorbidities, and adherence to hypertensive medication. An average of the current and previous two Blood pressure readings was recorded. Factors associated with uncontrolled blood pressure were assessed using a multivariate logistic regression model. Results: The mean age of study participants was 57 ± 0.76 years, with female dominance (77.9%). Among the study participants, 121 (44.7%) had uncontrolled BP. Dietary factors that were associated with uncontrolled blood pressure with adjusted OR (95%CI) included consumption of raw salt: 4.18 (1.32-13.24) and inadequate fruit consumption: 2.18 (1.26-3.75) while clinical factors included being overweight: 2.51 (1.27-4.95) and poor adherence to antihypertensive medications prescribed: 1.82 (1.03-3.21). Conclusion: The proportion of hypertensive patients with uncontrolled Blood Pressure was high (44.7%). Consumption of raw salt, inadequate fruit consumption, being overweight and poor adherence to antihypertensive medication were significantly associated with uncontrolled BP. From these findings, factors that were associated with the control of blood pressure are modifiable.

Cross-sectional and prospective associations of lifestyle risk behaviors clustering with elevated depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults

ObjectivesTo investigate the cross-sectional and prospective associations of lifestyle risk behaviors clustering with elevated depressive symptoms and to explore synergic prospective associations of different combinations of lifestyle risk behaviors with subsequent depressive symptoms. Study designProspective cohort study. Data on 31,190 middle-aged and older adults from waves 4 (2011) and 6 (2015) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were used. Main outcome measuresElevated depressive symptoms were estimated using the EURO-D 12-item scale. Lifestyle risk behaviors composing the cluster included physical inactivity, inadequate consumption of fruit and/or vegetables, binge drinking, and tobacco smoking. Gender, age group, education, place of residence, country, number of chronic diseases and body mass index were considered as confounders. ResultsWith the exception of binge drinking, all lifestyle risk behaviors were associated with higher odds of elevated depressive symptoms in cross-sectional and prospective analyses. The clustering of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors was cross-sectionally associated with elevated depressive symptoms and the clustering of two [odds ratio [OR]: 1.39; 95%CI: 1.28–1.51) and three or four (OR: 1.60; 95%CI: 1.38–1.85) were prospectively associated with elevated depressive symptoms. There were no interactions between the pairs of behaviors in the association with later elevated depressive symptoms. ConclusionsOur findings support the need for interventions integrating multiple health behaviors to prevent elevated depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults.

Examining prevalence of cancer risk factors across Ontario for the Ontario Cancer Profiles tool

The Ontario Cancer Profiles is an interactive dashboard for the public containing population-level cancerstatistics created by Ontario Health (Cancer Care Ontario). The tool contains data on cancer burden, cancerscreening measures, and cancer risk factors by Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and Public Health Unit (PHU). It can be used for health system planning, measuring health systems performance, monitoring the impact of interventions, and to help identify new areas of research. There were 9 new modifiable cancer risk factors proposed to be included in future updates of the dashboard. The proposed risk factors include: access to care, active transportation, binge drinking, alcohol abstinence, inadequate fruit consumption, inadequate vegetable consumption, sedentary behaviour, second-hand smoke exposure, and sun safety. My practicum consisted of two main objectives: to conduct a literature review on the association between the proposed risk factors and cancer and to determine the prevalence of exposure of the identified risk factors in Ontario using 2015 to 2017 CCHS data. I performed a literature review to examine current evidence linking each proposed risk factor with cancer risk to determine the inclusion or exclusion of the indicator in the analysis. An analysis was performed with the selected variables in CCHS. Each indicator was age-standardized, and both standardized and crude ratios of individuals engaging in selected indicator activities were calculated. The results were examined for reliability using the produced coefficient of variation values. The estimates for each risk indicators allowed for the identification of target population that may be at higher risk of developing cancer due to greater exposure to the risk factors. They also serve as useful predictors for areas of improvement in regions with a high prevalence, such as healthy living within the community, and a guide to implementing preventative measures, screening, or treatment plans that may have been lacking.