Lifestyle Diet Research Articles

Analysis of Dietary Behavior and Sustainable Dietary Life Competency in Families According to Parents’ Dietary Lifestyle: Using the 2021 Korea Consumer Behavior Survey for Food

Analysis of Dietary Behavior and Sustainable Dietary Life Competency in Families According to Parents’ Dietary Lifestyle: Using the 2021 Korea Consumer Behavior Survey for Food

Giving farm animals a name and a face: Eliciting animal advocacy among omnivores using the identifiable victim effect

Diets based on animal products are costly to our health and the planet and often inflict suffering on animals. In this study, we aimed to elicit animal advocacy among omnivores using the identifiable victim effect, a well-documented phenomenon in which presenting an identifiable victim, compared to anonymous or statistical victims, evokes greater caring and helping behavior. We explored whether this finding extends to farm animal victims, and particularly among omnivores who may have a material interest in the outcome (i.e., the slaughter of farm animals)., Consequently, due to their dietary lifestyle and consumer support of the meat industry, they may be perceived as complicit in the victimization. In Experiment 1, omnivore participants indicated a greater likelihood to sign and share a petition to save an identified runaway calf (presented with a name and a picture) from slaughter than several unidentified runaway calves. In Experiment 2, we extended these findings to actual petition signing, along with reporting support of the petition. In Experiment 3, we further replicated the identifiability effect using real donations to save the runaway calf (calves) from slaughter and demonstrated it is limited to a single-identified victim. Additionally, we found that feelings of sympathy (Experiment 1) and ambivalence towards meat (Experiment 3) mediated the effect, whereas concern, empathy, identification with animals (Experiment 2), and ecological identity (Experiment 3) moderated it. Omnivores who scored high in concern and ecological identity, and low in empathy and identification with animals were more susceptible to the effect. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Major clinical evidence of calorie restriction and intermittent fasting on skin health: a systematic review

Introduction: Combined skin diseases represent the fourth leading cause of non-fatal disability worldwide. In 2013, it was estimated that skin diseases represented almost 2.0% of the total global burden of disease. Different fasting models have been studied in an attempt to understand the effect of fasting on skin structure and function. Objective: It was to present the main scientific evidence of the effects of calorie restrictions and intermittent fasting on skin health. Methods: The PRISMA Platform systematic review rules were followed. The search was carried out from July to September 2023 in the Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Scielo, and Google Scholar databases. The quality of the studies was based on the GRADE instrument and the risk of bias was analyzed according to the Cochrane instrument. Results and Conclusion: A total of 119 articles were found, and 26 articles were evaluated in full, and 23 were included and developed in the present systematic review study. Considering the Cochrane tool for risk of bias, the overall assessment resulted in 22 studies with a high risk of bias and 26 studies that did not meet GRADE and AMSTAR-2. Most studies showed homogeneity in their results, with X2=64.7%>50%. It was concluded that although calorie restriction is the most effective intervention to prolong the life of organisms and prevent age-related diseases, its effects on aging and skin diseases can be significant. Dietary lifestyles can affect epithelial lineages such as the skin and intestine. The impact of Ramadan fasting on skin health can be compared with the effect of other types of fasting, including periodic dieting, calorie restriction, dietary restriction, dietary manipulation, and intermittent, short-term, and prolonged fasting. However, despite the scarcity of studies on the topic, no serious health risks have been reported and, therefore, patients who wish to fast should be warned about the importance of continuing their treatment and the administration of transdermal/topical medications.

A Study on the Perception of Aroma Oil by Diet Lifestyle

Recently, as the desire for health has increased socially and culturally, the importance of diet and health management is increasing. In particular, the popularization of health therapy is rapidly expanding by utilizing aroma oil that enables eco-friendly health management. However, since aroma has various effects depending on the type of aroma oil, appropriate choices should be made according to individual disposition and needs. In addition, in order to revitalize aroma products and related beauty industries, differences in healthrelated lifestyles in consideration of various lifestyles need to be reflected. Therefore, this study attempted to examine the perception of aroma oil according to dietary lifestyle. To this end, a survey was conducted on women over the age of 20 who were interested in aroma oil among local residents in Jeollabuk-do, and the recognition level was analyzed using T-test, One way ANOVA, and Duncan test. As a result of the analysis, the higher the awareness of aroma oil, and the difference in perception of aroma oil according to dietary lifestyle was relatively recognized by the healthy gastronomic pursuit group and the convenient gastronomic pursuit group. Accordingly, it was found that it was necessary to differentiate the development and marketing of customized aroma products in consideration of the awareness of aroma oil according to general characteristics and dietary lifestyle.

Edible flora in pre-Columbian Caribbean coprolites: Expected and unexpected data.

Coprolites, or mummified feces, are valuable sources of information on ancient cultures as they contain ancient DNA (aDNA). In this study, we analyzed ancient plant DNA isolated from coprolites belonging to two pre-Columbian cultures (Huecoid and Saladoid) from Vieques, Puerto Rico, using shotgun metagenomic sequencing to reconstruct diet and lifestyles. We also analyzed DNA sequences of putative phytopathogenic fungi, likely ingested during food consumption, to further support dietary habits. Our findings show that pre-Columbian Caribbean cultures had a diverse diet consisting of maize (Zea mays), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), chili peppers (Capsicum annuum), peanuts (Arachis spp.), papaya (Carica papaya), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and, very surprisingly cotton (Gossypium barbadense) and tobacco (Nicotiana sylvestris). Modelling of putative phytopathogenic fungi and plant interactions confirmed the potential consumption of these plants as well as edible fungi, particularly Ustilago spp., which suggest the consumption of maize and huitlacoche. These findings suggest that a variety of dietary, medicinal, and hallucinogenic plants likely played an important role in ancient human subsistence and societal customs. We compared our results with coprolites found in Mexico and the United States, as well as present-day faeces from Mexico, Peru, and the United States. The results suggest that the diet of pre-Columbian cultures resembled that of present-day hunter-gatherers, while agriculturalists exhibited a transitional state in dietary lifestyles between the pre-Columbian cultures and larger scale farmers and United States individuals. Our study highlights differences in dietary patterns related to human lifestyles and provides insight into the flora present in the pre-Columbian Caribbean area. Importantly, data from ancient fecal specimens demonstrate the importance of ancient DNA studies to better understand pre-Columbian populations.

Anthropometric Assessment and Dietary Lifestyle of the Félix Pérez Cardozo Club's Basketball Youth Category

Introduction: nutrition is fundamental for the prevention of risk factors related to diet, such as overweight and obesity, and associated non-communicable diseases, is a health benefit associated with physical activity that give the child the opportunity of well-being. Objective: to determine the anthropometric values of the players of the junior basketball category of the Felix Perez Cardozo Club in the period from 2023. Methods: an observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, cross-sectional study with quantitative approach was carried out, which included children from 5 to 12 years of age of the Felix Perez Cardozo Club. Data evaluated through child anthropometry and 24-hour recall were analyzed. Results: 34,67 % of the children were in an adequate nutritional state. However, 26,67 % of the sample was obese, 24 % was overweight and 13,3 % was at risk of malnutrition, the latter parameters should be worked on to reduce the level of these values. Conclusion: it is found that the nutritional status of the evaluated players contemplates those two thirds of the population in ranges of overweight or obesity considering the WHO evaluation parameters, as well as the sport itself, it is suggested to increase Nutritional Education in order to create better eating habits in children considering the importance of the age contemplated in the study.

Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome

Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome is a severe and very rare metabolic disease characterized by chylomicronemia associated with recurrent episodes of abdominal pain and/or pancreatitis. The worldwide estimate is that Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome occurs in one for every 500,000 to 1,000,000 people. It often manifests in childhood or adolescence and has been described in all ethnicities, with higher prevalence in some geographic areas, such as Quebec, due to the founder effect. Male patient, 40 years old, accountant, married, father of two daughters (1 and 4 years). Since the age of four, he knows how to have very high triglyceride values by warning from the laboratory. Genetic analysis confirmed deficiency of lipoprotein lipase. Pediatricians recommended the dietary and exercise lifestyle. As a teenager, he had pancreatitis when triglyceride levels reached 5,000 mg/dL. The patient does not present cardiovascular risk factors. We were wanted about three years ago when a second sister with the same condition died. It is noteworthy that his parents are first cousins. After therapeutic trials, little benefit was noticed. In association with the direction of hematology, we began to prescribe weekly and later biweekly dialysis. Since the emergence of volanesorsena, we have been prescribing it. Although its use in this patient is recent, six months, the results showed an important and significant reduction.

Natural Products Treat Colorectal Cancer by Regulating miRNA.

Diseases are evolving as living standards continue to improve. Cancer is the main cause of death and a major public health problem that seriously threatens human life. Colorectal cancer is one of the top ten most common malignant tumors in China, ranking second after gastric cancer among gastrointestinal malignant tumors, and its incidence rate is increasing dramatically each year due to changes in the dietary habits and lifestyle of the world's population. Although conventional therapies, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, have profoundly impacted the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), drug resistance and toxicity remain substantial challenges. Natural products, such as dietary therapeutic agents, are considered the safest alternative for treating CRC. In addition, there is substantial evidence that natural products can induce apoptosis, inhibit cell cycle arrest, and reduce the invasion and migration of colon cancer cells by targeting and regulating the expression and function of miRNAs. Here, we summarize the recent research findings on the miRNA-regulation-based antitumor mechanisms of various active ingredients in natural products, highlighting how natural products target miRNA regulation in colon cancer prevention and treatment. The application of natural drug delivery systems and predictive disease biomarkers in cancer prevention and treatment is also discussed. Such approaches will contribute to the discovery of new regulatory mechanisms associated with disease pathways and provide a new theoretical basis for developing novel colon cancer drugs and compounds and identifying new therapeutic targets.

General and abdominal obesity and dietary nutrient intake among university students in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study targeting potential risk factors

The overall national increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity has emerged among university students in Bangladesh. Though, poor dietary habits and lifestyle is quite common among university students, their dietary nutrient intake level, obesity prevalence and potential risk factors has hitherto given little priority. This study aimed to understand the prevalence and factors associated with general and abdominal obesity and level of dietary nutrient intake among university students in Bangladesh. Data from 320 unselected tertiary level students (81.6% males, 18.4% females; average age 22.7±3.0, BMI 22.4±3.1 and waist-hip ratio (WHR) 0.88±0.1) was collected randomly, in a single visit, from Islamic University, Kushtia, Bangladesh. Basic demographic and anthropometric information were collected. Twenty-four hour (24H) dietary recall and food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to collect dietary nutrient level retrospectively. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, t-test, ANOVA, and binomial logistic regression analysis were done. Around 3% and 42% student were reported to be obese and overweight respectively. Whereas abdominal obesity was prevalent among ∼52% and more than 67% of student were reportedly obese/overweight by either BMI or WHR or WHtR category. Energy and carbohydrate (CHO) intake were reported to be significantly higher (P<0.05) among overweight who born by C-section delivery and were fed formula milk than those were normal weight and born by vaginal-birth and were breastfed. The overweight individual with a history of preterm birth was reported to intake significantly higher (P<0.05) carbohydrates compared to normal-weight individuals with a history of term birth. While total fat intake was significantly higher (P<0.05) among overweight individuals with their mother had gestational diabetes than those with normal weight individuals with mother without gestational diabetes. General and abdominal obesity is common among university students and possibly associated with mode of birth, gestational duration, gestational diabetes, and breastfeeding practice.

Investigation of Dietary Habits and Lifestyle in relation to Diabetes Mellitus Type II among Private-Sector Employees of Lahore: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Although some studies have shown the association between dietary patterns and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a general population but the associations in Pakistan have been rarely studied to date. Aim: To characterize the dietary patterns and lifestyle of private sector employees in Lahore adults aged above 25 to evaluate the relationship of dietary habits, and lifestyle with the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on the private sector employees of Lahore, Pakistan. Two hundred and sixteen people participated in it and each provided their informed consent for data collection on their demographic, physical and biochemical characteristics along with the information on lifestyle and dietary patterns. Result: According to the observations from our study among the private sector employees in relation to their dietary habits, lifestyle and physical activity almost 174 private sector employees are diabetic out of which 42 are pre-diabetic.Their dietary intake was assessed using FFQ. The results show that diabetic people are taking more carbohydrates, saturated, trans-fats and red meat. Furthermore, pre-diabetic people are consuming high processed foods which contain more fats, calories and sugar without nutritional value. Conclusion: We have found that dietary habit, and lifestyle of private sector employees was associated with increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. As a result, in order to stop or reduce the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, it is necessary to promote healthy eating or dietary habits and physical activity to improve their lifestyle. Keywords: Cross-sectional study, informed consent, dietary intake, Diabetes Mellitus, FFQ, pre-diabetic.

Exploring the Effects of a Mediterranean Diet and Weight Loss on the Gut Microbiome and Cognitive Performance in Older, African American Obese Adults: A Post Hoc Analysis.

African American adults have a higher prevalence of Alzheimer's dementia (AD) than non-Hispanic Whites. The impact of a Mediterranean Diet (Med Diet) and intentional weight loss (IWL) on the gut microbiome may alter AD risk. A post hoc analysis of the Building Research in Diet and Cognition (BRIDGE) trial was performed to determine whether participation in an 8-month Med Diet lifestyle intervention with (n = 35) or without IWL (n = 31) was associated with changes in gut microbiota structure, abundance, and function and whether these changes were related to changes in cognitive performance. The results showed that family and genus alpha diversity increased significantly in both groups combined (p = 0.0075 and p = 0.024, respectively). However, there were no other significant microbially related within- or between-group changes over time. Also, an increase in Med Diet adherence was significantly associated with a decrease in alpha diversity at the phylum level only (p = 0.049). Increasing alpha diversity was associated with decreasing cognitive performance, but this association was attenuated after controlling for Med Diet adherence. In sum, an 8-month Med Diet lifestyle intervention with or without IWL did not appreciably alter the gut microbiome.

Chewing Ability and the Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess the Relationship Between Tooth Wear and Oral Health.

It is important to understand how a very common prevalent condition of tooth wear (TW) impacts a person's day-to-day oral health. An emerging concept of measuring the parameter of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), which evidently impacts the daily living of a person, makes it practical to examine the correlation between TW and OHRQoL. For measuring the OHRQoL, we can apply various methods, and the most effective is the use of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) questionnaire. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to assess the correlation between TW and the OHRQoL among adult patients attending a dental college and hospital. A cross-sectional research was performed on patients who visited the outpatient department of Teerthanker Mahaveer Dental College and Research Centre, Moradabad, India. Initially, the sociodemographic details of patients, including their oral hygiene and dietary habits, were recorded. This step was followed by the assessment of TW using the Smith and Knight TW index. Then, the translated and validated version of the OHIP questionnaire was filled up, in which the patients were asked to rate each question on a Likert scale, with five points ranging from 0 to 4, where 0 = never, 1 = hardly ever, 2 = occasionally, 3 = fairly often, and 4 = very often. Based on a clinical examination on 630 subjects and the OHIP questionnaire responses from the participants, a significantly remarkable association (p ≤ 0.05) was found using a chi-square test between TW and the OHRQoL. In particular, TW was linked to other sociodemographic data and various lifestyle, dietary, and drinking habits. Along with the OHRQoL, TW also showed a positive correlation with gender. Using the chi-square test, a statistically significant association between age and TW was observed, with p-value = 0.004. Meanwhile, the place of residence did not show any association with TW. Educational qualifications of patients, visits to dental clinics, and reasons for dental visits showed very significant association with TW. Oral hygiene aids, materials used, frequency of brushing, and brushing technique did not have any association with TW as per the results obtained. A highly significant association was found between consumption of fruit drinks, citric drinks, and beverages and TW in the adult patients. Among all the domains of the OHIP questionnaire, the physical pain domain was the most affected, followed by the physical disability domain. We conclude that TW has a direct association and positive correlation with the OHRQoL. As TW was increasing, so were the OHIP values, which indicated a lesser OHRQoL. The study also presents information on how to maintain a regular and healthy dietary lifestyle and oral hygiene to combat the impacts of TW.

Climate Change and Water Scarcity at the Focus of Environmental Impacts Associated with the COVID-19 Crisis in Spain

The conditions of social distancing and home confinement imposed to contain the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic have changed the dietary patterns and lifestyle of society. These changes have had significant consequences not only for our personal well-being but also for the health of the planet. In this context, the aim of this study was to describe the effect of household containment during the COVID-19 pandemic on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to food and water consumption. In addition, the dietary pattern of the Spanish population during home confinement was compared with the usual dietary pattern of consumption for the immediately preceding reference year (2019) to elucidate in depth the environmental consequences derived from food consumption due to COVID-19 restrictions. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Water Footprint Assessment (WFA) methodologies were used to assess carbon footprint and water footprint. The functional unit of reference was the average daily food intake per capita. The results showed that COVID-19 home confinement had a negative impact on the carbon footprint (CF) and water footprint (WF) of the Spanish dietary pattern mainly due to the increase in the amount of food consumed during 2020. The monthly analysis revealed two peaks in April and October for both environmental indicators in 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, which was mainly due to the increase in food consumption in Spanish households during the weeks of confinement as well as to the new COVID-19 wave in October. On the other hand, an upward trend in GHG emissions and water consumption could be observed in the last months of both years, which is attributed to increased consumption during the Christmas holidays. These findings indicate that people should be more aware than ever of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and dietary pattern, in line with health guidelines and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Eating habits and nutritional knowledge among amateur ultrarunners.

Many studies concerning the diet of physically active people refer to individuals who run; however, the importance of nutrition in professional and amateur sports plays a different role. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional behavior and knowledge of amateur ultrarunners. This study involved a group of 308 respondents (89 women and 219 men) aged 18 -65. It investigated the influence of the level of knowledge about nutrition, gender, education, and smoking on dietary food habits and eating frequency. The KomPAN questionnaire was used to determine the dietary habits, diet quality, lifestyle, and nutrition knowledge of ultramarathon runners. The nutrition knowledge influenced the eating habits and frequency of specific meals expressed as the Healthy Diet Index-10 (HDI-10) and Unhealthy Diet Index-14 (UDI-14). In women with sufficient knowledge about nutrition, lower HDI-10 scores were observed compared to those with a good level of knowledge, while men did not show a similar relationship. However, the effect of smoking on the frequency of food intake in men was noted. Interestingly, male smokers had a lower UDI-14 score than non-smokers. Depending on the level of knowledge, female and male ultrarunners more often or less frequently used selected food products. In turn, no effect of education on the frequency of consumption of specific foods was observed. Such different results are most likely caused by the specificity of the study group, which consisted of amateur runners. Additionally, the study looked at general eating habits, not those employed when preparing for marathons. In the future, more respondents should be surveyed, also taking into account nutrition during training.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the changes in dietary habits, lifestyle and physical activity in the Slovak population.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the coronavirus was accompanied by the emergence of various adverse conditions, as well as the deterioration of health from the point of view of chronic diseases, as well as lifestyle changes related to the preference of certain foods and changes in body weight due to the restriction of free movement. The objective of our survey was to assess the impact of the pandemic and lockdown on selected key lifestyle elements affecting the overall health status of the Slovak population and subsequently to evaluate subjectively assessed changes in the respondents' eating habits, daily routine, physical activity and body weight. The research group consisted of 528 participants who took part in an online distributed questionnaire survey. Respondents subjectively evaluated the change in lifestyle rather negatively. Up to 48.37% of men and 38.93% of women reported a change for the worse. Almost 59% of participants reported no change in their health, while almost a quarter reported a slight deterioration in their health. A change in eating habits for the worse was reported by 22.88% of men and 28.26% of women (p<0.05). Increased appetite during the lockdown was reported by 24.18% of men and 35.47% of women (p<0.05), more frequent overeating during the pandemic occurred in 30.07% of men and 38.13% of women. When evaluating the consumption of individual food commodities, the increased consumption of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables (p<0.01), homemade bread (p<0.05), homemade pastries (p<0.05) and dairy products (p<0.05) is very favourable. We also found a significant increase in the consumption of sweets (p<0.01) and coffee (p<0.001). When evaluating the sleep pattern, we noted an increase in sleep during the pandemic, as well as more time spent sitting. Over half of the respondents reported a change in body weight, in most cases it was an increase in both sexes. The results show that the pandemic and the restrictions during it caused changes not only in diet, but also in physical activity, daily routine and overall lifestyle. However, this is a very specific issue that needs to be assessed in a comprehensive and strictly personalized manner. The positive or negative impact of the pandemic on the health of the population will be the subject of research in the near future.

The link between unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents: a latent class analysis

ABSTRACT Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (ULBs) in children and adolescents are relatively common. Previous studies have shown an association between a single ULBs and emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs); however, few studies have explored the connection between multiple behavioral patterns and EBPs in children and adolescents. Hence, we aimed to investigate the link between ULBs clusters and EBPs among Chinese children and adolescents. From April to May 2019, we used cluster sampling to investigate children and adolescents in grades 1–12 from 14 schools located across six streets of Bao’an District in the city of Shenzhen. We measured emotional and behavioral problems using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). ULBs included the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, takeaway and fast food consumption, lack of sleep, low outdoor activity, and excessive screen time. We performed clustering of ULBs using the regression hybrid modeling method of latent class analysis (LCA). We analyzed the association between ULBs and EBPs using logistic regression. In total, 30188 children and adolescents remained for analysis, with an average age of 12.44 ± 3.47 years. The LCA revealed four distinct patterns of ULBs: (1) lowest risk; (2) high-risk unhealthy lifestyle behaviors; (3) high-risk dietary unhealthy lifestyle behaviors; and (4) highest risk. Compared to ULBs with the lowest risk, high-risk ULBs, high-risk dietary ULBs, and highest risk ULBs were positively correlated with EBPs, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 1.27, 1.34 and 2.05, respectively. Children and adolescents who reported engaging in multiple ULBs were also more likely to have poorer EBPs status. This implies that school administrations should pay more attention to the management of dietary and lifestyle behaviors to prevent EBPs in children and adolescents. Our findings highlight the need to focus on multiple clusters of ULBs among adolescents in a preventive care system and to validate EBP that may occur in children who are exposed to ULBs.

Evaluation of Gastritis Medication in Patient Prescriptions at the Inpatient Ward of Labuang Baji Regional General Hospital in Makassar City

Background: Gastritis is an inflammation of the gastric mucosa caused by various factors, such as dietary patterns, lifestyle, irritation, and infection. The disease occurs due to inflammation in the gastric lining, leading to abdominal pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the use and suitability of ranitidine medication in gastritis patients admitted to the inpatient ward of RSUD Labuan Baji in Makassar City. Method: This research employed a descriptive design with a cross-sectional approach. The sample consisted of inpatients from the period of 2018-2020. The data collected were secondary data obtained by the researchers from medical records and the pharmacy department regarding inpatient gastritis patients. Result: The drug interaction identification indicated that the highest percentage of interactions was related to pharmacokinetic mechanisms, specifically absorption, accounting for 85.7% when the effect was reduced. The lowest percentage of interactions, at 14.3%, was related to pharmacodynamic interactions that exhibited a synergistic effect when intensified. Conclusion: Gastritis is a prevalent disease in Indonesia with an increasing number of patients each year. It is crucial to take gastritis seriously as it can impair gastric function and elevate the risk of fatal stomach cancer. Additionally, drug interactions should be considered due to their potential harmful or beneficial consequences.

Factors Related to Diabetes Self-Care among Immigrants in the United States: A Scoping Review

Purpose: The purpose of this scoping review was to explore related factors in diabetes self-care among immigrants in the U.S. Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing chronic illnesses, but little is known about factors in self-care among minority immigrants in the U.S. Methods: The Arksey and O’Malley (2005) methodological framework guided this review, which examined 16 articles, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods designs. PRISMA guidelines were used with five Databases. Search terms included: immigrants in the U.S., type 2 diabetes, self-care, and self-management. Results: Factors related to diabetes self-care among immigrants were identified: (1) changed dietary lifestyle, (2) low economic and health insurance, (3) social support and resources, (4) low English proficiency, (5) psychological contexts, and (6) gender roles. Conclusion: Given the culturally unique related factors in diabetes self-care among immigrants, healthcare professionals must be knowledgeable and responsive to the ethnic minority immigrants’ needs to promote effective diabetes self-care.

Exploring the effects of health behaviors and mental health on students’ academic achievement: a cross-sectional study on lebanese university students

BackgroundHigh academic achievement, an important determinant of future success, is known to be influenced by many factors including dietary behavior, lifestyle and mental health, among others. The objectives of the current study were to explore university students’ nutritive habits, daily lifestyle, and mental status, and to scrutinize the associations between these factors and students’ academic achievement.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among students of a private Lebanese university, using an electronic survey. Diet, eating habits, physical activity, sleep, and smoking were evaluated, and mental health was assessed using a validated Arabic version of the combined Depression, Anxiety, Stress Score (DASS-8). Academic achievement was measured using the Subjective Academic Achievement Scale (SAAS).ResultsA total of 1677 students participated in the questionnaire. The results of a linear regression taking the SAAS score as the dependent variable, showed that students who have a non-scientific versus scientific major (Beta = 0.53), and having breakfast ≥ 4 days per week compared to less than 2 days (Beta = 0.28) were significantly associated with higher SAAS scores. More psychological distress (Beta = − 0.06) and a higher number of days of eating out (Beta = − 0.07) were significantly associated with lower SAAS scores.ConclusionsThis is the first investigation on a Lebanese university students’ academic success in relation to lifestyle and mental profiles. Better academic achievement was demonstrated by students having healthier dietary and lifestyle habits, as well as less distressing mental status. Such results, in light of the compounded and unprecedented crises with which Lebanon has been assailed, suggest the need to focus on promoting healthy habits among students in higher education as a possible driver of better academic success.

Mineral Composition and Consumer Acceptability of Amaranthus Leaf Powder Supplemented Ujeqe for Improved Nutrition Security.

Malnutrition, especially micronutrient deficiency, is a widespread health challenge that predominantly affects young children, young ladies who are within the productive age, refugees, and older adults who reside in rural communities and informal settlements in underdeveloped and developing countries. Malnutrition is caused by consuming either too little or too much of one or more food nutrients. Additionally, monotonous dietary lifestyle, especially the over-reliance on staple foods, is identified among the top factors limiting many individuals' intake of essential nutrients. Thus, enriching starchy and cereal-based staple foods including Ujeqe (steamed bread) with fruits and especially leafy vegetables is being suggested as a strategic medium for essential nutrient delivery to malnourished populations and especially the Ujeqe regular consumers. Amaranthus, called pigweed, has been rediscovered as a nutrient-dense multipurpose plant. The seed has been explored as a nutrient-enhancer in staple foods; however, the leaves are underutilized, especially in Ujeqe. This study aims to enhance the mineral content of Ujeqe. An integrated research approach was used where Amaranthus dubius was self-processed into leaf powder. Amaranthus leaf powder (ALP), and the ALP-supplemented wheat flour Ujeqe prototypes 0%, 2%, 4%, and 6% were investigated for their mineral composition. Sensory evaluations of enriched Ujeqe were conducted using 60 panelists on a five-point hedonic scale. Findings show that the moisture contents of the raw materials and the supplemented prototypes were low, indicating a good shelf life of the food ingredient before being used for Ujeqe development. Carbohydrates of raw materials ranged from 41.6-74.3%, fat ranged from 1.58-4.47%, ash ranged from 2.37-17.97%, and protein ranged from 11.96-31.56%. Additionally, fat, protein, and ash content had significant differences at (p < 0.05). The moisture content of enhanced Ujeqe was equally low, connoting keeping quality of the sample. The increase concentration of ALP led to an enriched Ujeqe especially in the ash and protein content. Similarly, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and iron content were significantly influenced at (p < 0.05); 2% ALP-supplemented Ujeqe was the most acceptable prototype as the control sample, 6% was the least preferred prototype. Although ALP dubius can enrich staple foods including (Ujeqe), this study declared that higher addition of ALP dubius leads to low consumer acceptability rate of the Ujeqe, which is not statistically significant. Amaranthus is an economical source of fiber, which was not investigated in the study. Therefore, further studies can explore the fiber content of the ALP-supplemented Ujeqe.