Increase Fruit Intake Research Articles

Characterizing Gut Microbiota in Older Chinese Adults with Cognitive Impairment: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Cognitive impairment is a clinical manifestation that occurs in the course of dementia like Alzheimer's disease. The association between cognitive impairment and gut microbiota is unclear. We aimed to identify gut microbiota characteristics and key gut microbiota biomarkers associated with cognitive impairment in a relatively large cohort of older adults in China. A total of 229 adults aged ≥60 years from Shenzhen, China were recruited into this cross-sectional study. Participants were divided into cognitive impairment (CI) and no cognitive impairment (NCI) groups according to the results of the Mini-Mental State Examination. Diversity analysis and network analysis were used to characterize the gut microbiota between the two groups. The linear discriminant analysis effect size method and machine learning approaches were sequentially performed to identify gut microbiota biomarkers. The relationship between biomarkers and lifestyle factors was explored using Transformation-based redundancy analysis (tb-RDA). A total of 74 CI participants and 131 NCI participants were included in the analysis. The CI group demonstrated lower α-diversity compared to the NCI group (Shannon: 2.798 versus 3.152, p < 0.001). The density of the gut microbiota interaction network was lower in the CI group (0.074) compared to the NCI group (0.081). Megamonas, Blautia, Pseudomonas, Stenotrophomonas, and Veillonella were key biomarkers for CI. The tb-RDA revealed that increased fruit intake and exercise contribute to a higher abundance of Megamonas, Blautia, and Veillonella. We identified a significantly reduced abundance of certain beneficial gut microbiota in older Chinese adults with cognitive impairment.

Examining the Effect of Message Strategies on Peruvian Mothers´ Intentions to Increase Fruit Intake Among Children

Background The Peruvian population does not meet the recommended guidelines for daily consumption of fruits and vegetables and, thus, social marketing approaches are needed in order to improve this behavior. Focus of the Article The focus of this study was on changing intentions to engage in a recommended health behavior by experimentally testing one component of a social marketing strategy, namely the effect of messages to motivate mothers to increase the fruit consumption of their children. Research Question What type of messages, either those communicating the advantages of engaging in the recommended behavior or those communicating the norms about the behavior, are better at increasing mothers’ intentions to give 3 daily fruits to their children? Importance to the Social Marketing Field This study identifies methodological steps that can guide future social marketing approaches to test the effect of messages in the area of behavior change. Methods A total of 285 mothers completed an online survey with an experiment built in. Mothers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a gain-framed messages condition, a normative messages condition and a no message condition (control condition) and then answered questions about the dependent variables. Results Results showed that exposure to messages communicating information about the advantages of engaging in the behavior increased mothers’ attitudes and intentions to give 3 daily fruits to their children; however, messages communicating information about descriptive norms did not increase mothers’ perceived norms or intentions. Recommendations for Research or Practice Social marketing approaches that address low levels of fruit consumption among children can benefit from message strategies that target mothers and that focus on communicating the advantages of giving more fruits to their children.

Experiences participating in federal nutrition assistance programs during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic: an investigation in Vermont

BackgroundFederal nutrition assistance programs serve as safety nets for many American households, and participation has been linked to increased food security and, in some instances, improved diet quality and mental health outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic brought new and increased economic, social, and psychological challenges, necessitating inquiry into how nutrition assistance programs are functioning and associated with public health outcomes.MethodsUsing data from a representative statewide survey administered in Vermont (n = 600) between July and September 2020, we examined participant experiences with major federal nutrition assistance programs: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and school meal programs. We explored quantitative and qualitative responses regarding perceptions of program utility, and used nearest neighbors matching analyses in combination with bivariate statistical tests to assess associations between program participation and food insecurity, perceived stress, and fruit and vegetable intake as indicators of dietary quality.ResultsOne in four respondents (27.3%) used at least one federal nutrition assistance program. As compared to non-participants, we found higher rates of food insecurity among program participants (57.5% vs. 18.1%; p < 0.001), an association that persisted even when we compared similar households using matching techniques (p ≤ 0.001). From matched analyses, we found that, compared to low-income non-participants, low-income program participants were less likely to meet fruit intake recommendations (p = 0.048) and that low-income SNAP and WIC participants were less likely to meet vegetable intake recommendations (p = 0.035). We also found lower rates of perceived stress among low-income school meal participant households compared to low-income non-participants (p = 0.039). Despite these mixed outcomes, participants broadly valued federal nutrition assistance programs, characterizing them as helpful or easy to use.ConclusionsWe found that federal nutrition assistance programs as a group were not sufficient to address food insecurity and stress or increase fruit and vegetable intake in the state of Vermont during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, participants perceived benefits from participation in these programs. Optimizing the utility of nutrition assistance programs depends on critical examination of their functioning under conditions of great stress.

Increasing Fruit Intake in Partially Controlled Diets for 8 Weeks on Endothelial Function and Blood Pressure in Adults with Prediabetes

Increasing Fruit Intake in Partially Controlled Diets for 8 Weeks on Endothelial Function and Blood Pressure in Adults with Prediabetes

Changes in diet and physical activity following a community-wide pilot intervention to tackle childhood obesity in a deprived inner-London ward

BackgroundLocal authorities in England have an important role in shaping healthy local environments contributing to childhood obesity. This study examined changes in diet and physical activity in primary school children following a three-year, complex, community-based intervention in Golborne ward, the second most deprived ward in London.MethodsThe Go-Golborne intervention aimed to shape the local environment across multiple settings with the engagement of a large number of local government and community stakeholders in a joint approach. Activities focused on six co-created themes to make changes to local environments and reduce sugary snacks and beverage consumption, increase fruit and vegetable intake, promote healthy snacks, increase active play and travel, and reduce screen time. We analysed changes in self-reported diet and physical activity, collected annually between 2016 and 2019, from 1,650 children aged 6–11 years through six local schools, who all received the intervention. We used multilevel, linear and logistic random-slope regression models adjusted for time on study, baseline age, gender, ethnicity, deprivation quintile, school, and baseline weight status.ResultsAfter three years of follow-up, there were reductions in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (adjusted beta -0·43 occasions/day, 95% CI -0·55 to -0·32), fruit and vegetable consumption (adjusted beta -0.22 portions, 95% CI -0.44 to 0.001) and car travel to and from school (adjusted OR 0·19, 95% CI 0·06 to 0·66), while screen time increased (high versus moderate/low: OR 2·30, 95% CI 1·36 to 3·90). For other behavioural outcomes, there was no statistically significant evidence of changes.ConclusionLocal authorities have substantial powers to make positive changes to the obesogenic environment but programmes remain under-evaluated. Results from the ambitious Go-Golborne intervention demonstrated mixed results in health behaviours following programme implementation. These results underline the importance of a coordinated and comprehensive policy response to support changes in wider environmental and social conditions as well as appropriate and holistic evaluations of initiatives to inform local actions on obesogenic environments.

Increased fruit intake is associated with reduced risk of depression: evidence from cross-sectional and Mendelian randomization analyses.

The association between dietary patterns and depression has gained significant attention, but the relationship between fruit intake and depression remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role of fruit intake in the risk of depression using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, and further explore the causal relationship between them. Cross-sectional analysis was conducted using the 2005-2018 NHANES data. Specialized weighted complex survey design analysis software was used for multivariate logistic analysis. Additionally, genetic variants for fruit intake and depression, as well as its related neuroticism traits, from the GWAS were used as instrumental variables in MR analysis. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was employed as the primary analysis method to evaluate the causal relationship between them. MR-Egger regression, MR-PRESSO test, and leave-one-out analysis were conducted to assess heterogeneity and pleiotropy. In NHANES, compared to the lowest quartile (Q1, <0.12 cup], the highest quartile (Q4, >1.49 cups) of fruit intake showed a significant reduction in the risk of depression after adjusting for relevant covariates. Model 3, after rigorous adjustment for multiple covariates, demonstrated improved predictive performance in both Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Decision curve analysis (DCA). In Model 3, the proportion of reduced depression risk associated with fruit intake reached 31% (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.50-0.95). This association remained significant in the MR analysis (OR = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.87-0.96; p = 5.09E-04). Fruit intake was also associated with a decreased risk of neuroticism traits related to depression, including feeling lonely (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.74-0.90; p = 2.91E-05), feeling miserable (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.72-0.87; p = 2.35E-06), feeling fed-up (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.68-0.83; p = 2.78E-08), irritable mood (OR = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.79-0.99; p = 0.03), and neuroticism (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.76-0.96; p = 9.94E-03). The causal relationship between feeling lonely and fruit intake was bidirectional. Increased fruit intake has a causal effect in reducing the risk of depression and is beneficial for related psychological well-being.

Association of Maternal Feeding Style with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption in Saudi Preschoolers: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

Parental feeding style (PFS) remarkably influences fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption in preschoolers. This study aimed to determine the association between PFS and preschoolers' F&V consumption, as influenced by socioeconomic factors. A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted among 1418 mothers of children aged 3-5 years in Saudi Arabia. Multinomial logistic regression model analysis was performed to assess the association between PFS and children's daily F&V intake using the Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire. The influence of socioeconomic factors on this association was also evaluated. For mothers with university degrees, encouragement, emotional, and instrumental feeding enhanced their children's intake of F&Vs, fruits, and vegetables, respectively. Children from families earning SAR >10,000 monthly had increased F&V intake with encouragement feeding and increased fruit intake with emotional feeding. However, F&V intake was reduced in children of working mothers with controlling feeding styles. Breastfeeding for <6 months was associated with increased F&V intake through emotional feeding. The most prevalent feeding style was encouragement, followed by emotional, with control and instrumental styles being less common. This study provides strong evidence on the association between PFS and daily F&V intake in Saudi preschoolers. Interventional and longitudinal studies on PFS are required to confirm these findings.

Evolution of fruit and vegetable intake among health promotion service participants in a Brazilian metropolis: 48-month follow-up of a randomized controlled community trial

ObjectiveTo assess longitudinal effects of a nutrition intervention on fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake among Primary Health Care (PHC) service participants in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. MethodsDemographics and health data on 3414 PHC service participants were collected at baseline in 2013–2014. F&V intake was assessed at baseline, 12, 36, and 48 months until 2017–2018. Services were randomized to control (CG, usual care) or intervention (IG, usual care and a Transtheoretical Model-based intervention to increase F&V intake). We performed difference-in-differences (DiD) analysis to identify intervention effects on F&V intake, and sensitivity analyses of participants observed at all timepoints. ResultsParticipants were mostly middle-aged, low-income women. Mean baseline intakes were 168.7 g of fruit, 202.0 g of vegetables, and 370.7 g of F&V, with lower fruit in the IG (164.1 g) than the CG (172.3 g). At 12 months, the intervention increased fruit intake in the IG and fruit and F&V intake among individuals with low baseline F&V intake. Fruit intake remained higher at 36 months in the IG. No effect on vegetable intake was identified. According to sensitivity analyses, effects on fruit intake among the complete sample did not remain significant at 36 months, and an effect on fruit intake at 36 months was identified among those with adequate baseline F&V intake. Reductions in F&V intake did not remain significant. ConclusionsAt 12 months, a TTM-based intervention increased fruit intake in the overall sample, and fruit and F&V intake among individuals with low baseline intakes. Repeated interventions may be needed over time.Trial registration number: RBR-9h7ckx.

Bioactive Compounds and Health-Promoting Properties of Elephant Apple (Dillenia indica L.): A Comprehensive Review.

Elephant apple (Dillenia indica L.) grows wild in Southeast Asia's forests, including in China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Elephant apples are considered essential fruit crops because of their high nutritional value, which includes high levels of vitamin C, carbohydrates, fats, fibre, protein, minerals, and fatty acids. It is important to understand the nutritional value and health benefits of elephant apples in order to increase fruit intake in people's daily diets. The present review paper focuses on elephant apple's phytochemistry, bioactive compounds, therapeutic value, and medicinal capabilities for designing and developing a wide range of food formulations. Proteins, minerals, fats, crude fibre, carbohydrates, vitamin C, tannins, malic acid, and glucose are abundant in the leaves, bark, and fruit of the elephant apple. In addition to nutritional components, many phytochemicals found in elephant apples have been identified as bioactive compounds with a broad range of biological activities, the most prominent of which are antioxidant, anticancer, antidiabetic, and anti-inflammatory properties. Overall, elephant apple is a rich, natural source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in the production of value-added foods and nutraceuticals for disease prevention and management.

Genetic Predisposition, Fruit Intake and Incident Stroke: A Prospective Chinese Cohort Study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between fruit intake and stroke risk considering the genetic predisposition. We used data from 34,871 participants from the project of Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China (China-PAR project) from 2007 to 2020. A polygenic risk score comprising 534 genetic variants associated with stroke and its related factors was constructed to categorize individuals into low, intermediate, and high genetic risk groups. The associations of genetic and fruit intake with incident stroke were assessed by the Cox proportional hazard regression. We documented 2586 incident strokes during a median follow-up of 11.2 years. Compared with fruit intake < 200 g/week, similar relative risk reductions in stroke with adherence to fruit intake > 100 g/day across the genetic risk categories were observed (28−32%), but the absolute risk reductions were relatively larger in the highest genetic risk group (p for trend = 0.03). In comparison to those with a fruit intake < 200 g/week, those with a fruit intake >100 g/day in the low, intermediate, and high genetic risk groups had an average of 1.45 (95% CI, 0.61−2.31), 2.12 (1.63−2.59), and 2.19 (1.13−3.22) additional stroke-free years at aged 35, respectively. Our findings suggest that individuals with a high genetic risk could gain more absolute risk reductions and stroke-free years than those with a low genetic risk from increasing fruit intake for the stroke primary prevention.

Changes in diet and physical activity after a pilot intervention to tackle childhood obesity in a deprived inner-London community: an observational cohort study

BackgroundLocal authorities in England are uniquely positioned to modify obesogenic local environments contributing to childhood obesity. Evaluating the effects of local authority-led, community-wide approaches is challenging. This study examines changes in diet and physical activity in children aged 6–11 years after a 4-year, complex, community-based, pilot intervention in Golborne, one of the most deprived areas in London. MethodsThe Go-Golborne intervention aimed to shape the local environment by building on local assets, connecting stakeholders in local government and the community, and synchronising existing activities. Activities focused on six themes to make changes to local environments and reduce the consumption of sugary snacks and beverages, increase fruit and vegetable intake, promote healthy snacks, increase active play and travel, and reduce screen time. We analysed changes in self-reported diet and physical activity, collected annually in 2016–19, from children from six local schools. Results were compared with the data collected at baseline. We used multilevel, linear (for dietary outcomes), and logistic (for physical activity) random-slope regression models to examine changes in diet and physical activity by time on study, adjusting for baseline age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation quintile, school, and baseline weight status. Dietary outcomes were calculated by summing the total occasions a participant indicated they ate or drank a certain food or drink (reported as portions per day, expressed as a β coefficient). The physical activity outcomes were developed by creating six binary variables to distinguish those who were most active from those who were least active. Findings1650 children (mean age 7·9 years [SD:1·6]; 808 [49%] girls and 842 [51%] boys) were included. After 3 years of follow-up, we noted reductions in sugary beverage consumption (adjusted β –0·43 portions [95% CI –0·55 to –0·32]; p<0·0001) and car travel to and from school (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0·19 [95% CI 0·06 to 0·66]; p<0·0001), whereas screen time increased (high vs moderate or low; 2·30 [1·36 to 3·90]; p=0·0021). For other dietary and physical activity outcomes, no evidence of changes and no variation by subgroups were noted. InterpretationLocal authorities can make changes to the obesogenic environment, and mixed results from the Go-Golborne intervention show that collaboration is possible between academics, local authorities, and the community, highlighting the need for robust intervention design in real-world settings, where the need for practical community interventions are met alongside academic rigour. FundingRoyal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. CB is funded by the School for Public Health Research of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (grant reference PD-SPH-2015). CJ is partly funded by Public Health at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaborative. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Institute for Health and Care Research or the Department of Health and Social Care.

Relationship between dairy and product consumption and the high-risk of cardiovascular diseases of 35-75 years old residents in 6 districts of Jiangsu Province from 2015 to 2017

To explore the effect of intake of milk and milk products on high risk of cardiovascular disease. Six districts in Jiangsu Province were selected as project sites by using cluster sampling method. The residents aged 35-75 years old in the districts were screened at early stage for high risk population of cardiovascular diseases from June 2015 to September 2017, and the risk of cardiovascular diseases was assessed, a total of 40 234 subjects were classified as high-risk subjects of cardiovascular disease((57.30±9.44) years old, 24 608 female(61.15%), 20 412 rural residents(50.72%)). Through questionnaire, physical examination, laboratory test, and propensity score matching, 35 104 subjects were finally included in this study. The t test, χ~2 test, multivariate Logistic regression and additive interaction analysis were used to analyze the data with software of SPSS 23.0. There were 67.30%(n=23 607) of subjects with milk and product consumption&lt;1 d/week. With the frequency as a reference, adjusted urban and rural areas, educational level, occupation, annual family income, drinking, BMI, abdominal obesity, and intake of vegetables and fruits, multiple Logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of cardiovascular disease decreased with the increase of intake frequency of milk and milk products(P&lt;0.001), the frequency of 4-6 d/week was the lowest(OR=0.608, 95% CI 0.546-0.677). Additive interaction analysis found that combination with vegetable consumption significantly reduced the high risk of cardiovascular diseases(P&lt;0.05). While the high risk of cardiovascular disease was reduced by increasing fruit intake frequency at the same intake frequency of milk and products. More intake milk and product can reduce the high-risk of cardiovascular diseases. Combination with vegetables or fruits could synergistically reduce the high risk, the effect is stronger with vegetables than that with fruits.

The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Saudi Adults' Behavior Regarding Food Literacy and Food Consumption.

BackgroundThe coronavirus pandemic has forced worldwide closures, especially of restaurants closed, which partly contributed to people all over the world changing the way they choose and prepare foods.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to compare changes in behavioral food literacy (planning, selecting, and preparing food) and food consumption before and during the COVID-19 crisis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).DesignThis was a cross-sectional study, with data from an online survey made in UAntwerpen Qualtrics Accounts and collected from April-June 2020. The study was part of the International Corona Cooking Survey.ResultsThere were 2788 respondents (83%, n = 2323 females) who reported that the COVID-19 home lockdown had positively affected all their behavioral food literacy components (all p<0.05) except feeling confident about cooking a variety of healthy meals in which the difference was not significant (p>0.05); however, its impact on their food consumption was varied. There was a noticeable positive increase in fruit intake (Z= -3.330, p=0.001) and a noticeable positive decrease in processed meat (Z= -11.375, p<0.001) and sweetened drinks consumption (Z= -2.403, p<0.05). There were simultaneously noticeable adverse effects represented in the reduction in the consumption of the vegetable group (Z= -3.447, p=0.001) and an increase in sweets consumption (Z= -2.268, p<0.05). However, the overall impacts of these changes as measured by the Hedges’ g measure indicated a small effect (Hedges’ g = 0.04, 95% CI (-0.07, -0.16)).Discussion and conclusionsEven though the pandemic may have created a sense of responsibility for one's health and increased people's nutritional awareness, the Saudi population may be still a long way from having healthy eating habits. Public health campaigns need to increase the population's level of nutritional awareness, educate them about the meaning of healthy eating, and how they can achieve that by advocating the national dietary guidelines and providing reliable and accurate information by authorized official bodies.

The banana project: a qualitative study of caregivers’ and teachers’ experiences of preschool children participating in a free banana school fruit scheme in rural Tanzania

IntroductionGood nutrition is the foundation of sustainable growth and development among children. The United Nations aims to achieve food security and improve nutrition through its Sustainable Development Goal 2 -...

Football fans' emotional attachment to their clubs as a predictor of weight loss in a prevention programme for men with obesity.

Data about which factors in lifestyle interventions facilitate weight loss (WL) success in men is still scarce. The Football Fans in Training (FFIT) programme in Germany attracts men with overweight and facilitates meaningful weight reduction. The goal of this study was to evaluate the possible impact of the fans' emotional attachment to their favourite football clubs on achieving at least 5% WL among the male-only participants. All 791 FFIT intervention participants of 2017 and 2018 were included in the study. We performed two separate logistic regression analyses: (a) baseline values of several participant characteristics as predictors of a 5% WL and (b) change scores of participants' health behaviour characteristics from the course start to end as predictors of the 5% WL. In addition, both models included the Emotional Attachment to a Sports Team (EAST). Analyses were based on the intention-to-treat principle. Higher EAST at baseline was associated with WL success, as was higher WL self-efficacy, lower score in vegetable intake and higher score in food high on carbohydrates. In the second analysis, EAST, an increase in fruit intake, vegetable intake, whole-grain intake and steps per day, as well as a reduction of fatty food intake, were associated with 5% WL success. The predictors are mostly explorative and limited to correlations. The results indicate that EAST was an independent predictor of WL success in the participating football fans. This understanding might be used for tailoring future interventions in sports or similar settings.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Relation to Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Polish Pharmacists.

A direct association between health-related quality of life (HQoL) and nutrition remains unclear, although lifestyle habits are known to impact on human health. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate an association between dietary habits, such as vegetable and fruit consumption, in particular, and HQoL. SF-36 (RAND-SF-36) and the Dietary Habits and Nutrition Beliefs Questionnaire (KomPAN) were addressed to Polish pharmacists with a valid professional license. After the preliminary verification, 667 pharmacists were included into the study, and altogether, 11 questions from the KomPAN questionnaire and all RAND-SF-36 multiple choice questions were processed for statistical analysis. All HQoL scores, excluding physical functioning and role-physical, were significantly higher in the group declaring fruit consumption ≥1 time per day (p < 0.005), while physical functioning (p = 0.008) and general health (p = 0.03) were significantly higher in the group declaring vegetable consumption ≥1 time per day. Thus, there is indeed a positive association between vegetable and fruit consumption and HQoL. Increased fruit intake could certainly impact on the health-related quality of life of Polish pharmacists, primarily in terms of mental functioning, while increased vegetable intake could impact in terms of physical functioning.

Prepare randomized clinical trial: Acceptability, engagement, and lifestyle effects of a weight loss intervention beginning in pre-pregnancy.

BackgroundHealthier lifestyles in early pregnancy are associated with lower rates of pregnancy complications, childhood adiposity, and maternal and child cardiovascular risks. However, it is not known whether lifestyle coaching initiated prior to pregnancy can affect behavior and attitudes during pregnancy.MethodsThree hundred and twenty six women planning pregnancy within 2 years with BMI ≥27 kg/m2 were randomized to a behavioral weight loss intervention or to usual care. Analyses reported here examined the intervention’s impact on mid‐pregnancy diet quality and activity levels; program acceptability; and effects of pregnancy on intervention engagement.ResultsOne hundred and sixty eight participants experienced pregnancy during the study (intervention: 91; usual care: 77). From randomization to mid‐pregnancy, participants who received the intervention had larger increases in fruit intake than usual care participants (+0.67 vs. +0.06 cups; p = 0.02) and engaged in more vigorous‐intensity activity (3.9 [5.5] vs. 1.2 [3.0] Met‐hr/week p = 0.002) and sports/exercise (17.0 [14.1] vs. 11.0 [9.5] Met‐hr/week; p = 0.03); the groups also differed in changes in sedentary time (−4.9 [15.0] vs. +0.5 [7.6] Met‐hr/week; p = 0.02). Intervention satisfaction was high (>80%), and experiencing pregnancy during the intervention was associated with higher engagement.ConclusionA coaching‐based intervention beginning in pre‐pregnancy successfully helped women attain healthier diet and exercise habits in mid‐pregnancy.Clinical trials registrationRegistered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02346162, first registered on January 26, 2015, before date of initial participant enrollment (May 2015), https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02346162.

Design and Methods of a Participatory Healthy Eating Intervention for Indigenous Children: The FRESH Study.

ObjectiveTo increase vegetable and fruit intake, reduce body mass index (BMI), and improve parental blood pressure among American Indian families.DesignRandomized, wait-list controlled trial testing a multi-level (environmental, community, family, and individual) multi-component intervention with data collection at baseline and 6 months post-intervention.SettingTribally owned and operated Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs in the Osage Nation in Oklahoma.ParticipantsAmerican Indian families (at least one adult and one child in a ECE program). A sample size of 168 per group will provide power to detect differences in fruit and vegetable intake.InterventionThe 6-month intervention consisted of a (1) ECE-based nutrition and gardening curriculum; (2) nutrition education and food sovereignty curriculum for adults; and (3) ECE program menu modifications.Main Outcome MeasuresThe primary outcome is increase in fruit and vegetable intake, assessed with a 24-h recall for adults and plate weight assessments for children. Secondary outcomes included objective measures of BMI among adults and children and blood pressure among adults.

Evaluation of the chemical composition and sensory properties of soursop (Annona muricata) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit juices and blends

Background: Fresh fruits contain numerous nutrients that are essential for good health. Their highly perishable nature and prevalent poor preservation methods contribute to enormous losses in national income. The combination of different fruits in juice making will reduce spoilage, increase fruit intake, nutrient density and variety in food consumption.&#x0D; Objective: The study evaluated the chemical composition and sensory properties of juices and blends prepared from Soursop (Annona muricata) and Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruits.&#x0D; Materials and methods: Fresh Soursop (S) and Water melon (W) fruits were purchased from Ndioro market in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State Nigeria. The fruits were washed with clean tap water and systematically processed into juices. The juices were formulated into blends of 70W%: 30%S (500), 30%W: 70%S (501), 50%W: 50%S (502), 100%W (503), 100%S (504); and analyzed for nutrient composition and organoleptic properties using standard procedures. Data obtained was subjected to variance analysis, means differences ascertained with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test and significant was judged at p &lt; 0.05 using IBM Statistical Package for Service Solution (SPSS) version 21.0 &#x0D; Results: Sample 504 (100% Soursop) had significantly higher carbohydrate (13.21%), protein (0.83%), ash (1.11%), magnesium (32.14mg/100g), sodium (4.81mg/100g), Calcium (73.63mg/100g), potassium (611.14mg/100g), and Vitamin C (148.20mg/100g) content than the other samples. Sample 503 (100%Watermelon) had significantly higher crude fiber (0.21%), fat (0.42%), moisture (86.45%) and Vitamin A (710.34IU) content than other samples. Sample 501 (30%W: 70%S) had appreciable protein (0.77%), ash (0.82%), carbohydrate (12.67%), sodium (4.28%), calcium (69.11mg/100g), potassium (560.72mg/100g), phosphorus (53.25mg/100g), and Vitamin C (131.30mg/100g) second to 504(100% Soursop). Although 503 (100%Watermelon) was rated higher in flavor and color, all blends were generally acceptable to the panelists.&#x0D; Conclusion: Soursop and Watermelon juices and blends had varied nutrient density and were generally acceptable to the panelists.

Improvements in Diet and Physical Activity-Related Psychosocial Factors Among African Americans Using a Mobile Health Lifestyle Intervention to Promote Cardiovascular Health: The FAITH! (Fostering African American Improvement in Total Health) App Pilot Study.

BackgroundAfrican Americans continue to have suboptimal cardiovascular health (CVH) related to diet and physical activity (PA) behaviors compared with White people. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions are innovative platforms to improve diet and PA and have the potential to mitigate these disparities. However, these are understudied among African Americans.ObjectiveThis study aims to examine whether an mHealth lifestyle intervention is associated with improved diet and PA-related psychosocial factors in African Americans and whether these changes correlate with diet and PA behavioral change.MethodsThis study is a retrospective analysis evaluating changes in diet and PA-related self-regulation, social support, perceived barriers, and CVH behaviors (daily fruit and vegetable intake and moderate-intensity PA [MPA] per week) in 45 African American adults (mean age 48.7 years, SD 12.9 years; 33/45, 73% women) enrolled in the FAITH! (Fostering African American Improvement in Total Health) app pilot study. The intervention is a 10-week, behavioral theory–informed, community-based mHealth lifestyle intervention delivered through a mobile app platform. Participants engaged with 3 core FAITH! app features: multimedia education modules focused on CVH with self-assessments of CVH knowledge, self-monitoring of daily fruit and vegetable intake and PA, and a sharing board for social networking. Changes in self-reported diet and PA-related self-regulation, social support, perceived barriers, and CVH behaviors were assessed by electronic surveys collected at baseline and 28 weeks postintervention. Changes in diet and PA-related psychosocial factors from pre- to postintervention were assessed using paired 2-tailed t tests. The association of changes in diet and PA-related psychosocial variables with daily fruit and vegetable intake and MPA per week was assessed using Spearman correlation. Associations between baseline and 28-week postintervention changes in diet and PA-related psychosocial measures and CVH behaviors with covariates were assessed by multivariable linear regression.ResultsParticipants reported improvements in 2 subscales of diet self-regulation (decrease fat and calorie intake, P=.01 and nutrition tracking, P<.001), one subscale of social support for healthy diet (friend discouragement, P=.001), perceived barriers to healthy diet (P<.001), and daily fruit and vegetable intake (P<.001). Improvements in diet self-regulation (increase fruit, vegetable, and grain intake, and nutrition tracking) and social support for healthy diet (friend encouragement) had moderate positive correlations with daily fruit and vegetable intake (r=0.46, r=0.34, and r=0.43, respectively). A moderate negative correlation was observed between perceived barriers to healthy diet and daily fruit and vegetable intake (r=−0.25). Participants reported increases in PA self-regulation (P<.001). Increase in social support subscales for PA (family and friend participation) had a moderate positive correlation with MPA per week (r=0.51 and r=0.61, respectively).ConclusionsOur findings highlight key diet and PA-related psychosocial factors to target in future mHealth lifestyle interventions aimed at promoting CVH in African Americans.