Adult Nutrition Research Articles

Selenium intakes in the Irish adult population.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element which has an important role as a constituent of seleno-proteins involved in various physiological processes. Previous research in Irish adults suggests that intakes of this important nutrient are suboptimal. The aim of the present study was to estimate the current intakes and major food sources of Se by Irish adults. Mean daily intakes (MDIs) of Se were calculated using data from the National Adult Nutrition Survey which involved 1500 Irish adults aged 18-90 years. The Se content of foods and drinks consumed over a 4-d period was determined using data from the Irish Total Diet Study (TDS). Adequacy of Se intakes was assessed by calculating the proportion of the population with intakes below the adequate intake (AI) of 70 μg/d and lower reference nutrient intake of 40 μg/d (LRNI). The MDI of Se in the total population was 71⋅7 μg/d, with significantly higher intakes reported in men (80⋅2 μg/d) compared with women (63⋅4 μg/d, P < 0⋅01). Meat and meat products were the major contributing food group to Se intakes for both men (37 %) and women (31 %). Overall, 47 % of the population were not meeting the recommended AI, while 4 % of the total population were not meeting the LRNI. Although the average intake of Se is above the AI, a significant proportion of the population is not meeting this recommendation and continued monitoring of Se intakes is necessary, particularly by at-risk groups and also in the context of sustainability.

CARING FOR OLDER ADULTS ACROSS THE CARE CONTINUUM: EXPERIENCES OF OLDER ADULTS AND FORMAL CAREGIVERS

Abstract As individuals age, they are at risk of experiencing health challenges that can contribute to poorer health outcomes and increase health care costs. During acute care crises and through the continuum of dealing with chronic diseases, older adults rely on formal caregivers to provide care and support. Formal caregivers’ delivery of care can be challenged during difficult patient cases (e.g., providing wound care to a person exhibiting behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia) and during high stress times, such as working through a pandemic. However, during difficult times, resilience among formal caregivers can have a positive affect on care delivery. This symposium identifies some of the health challenges experienced by aging adults, challenging experiences of nurses, levels of resilience among formal caregivers, and discusses the implications for nursing care and future research. Ms. Coates examines trends in adverse drug admissions among older adults in the United States using the 2018 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s National Inpatient Sample. Dr. Hwang explores the relationship between nutrition, inflammation, and physical and mental health in aging adults with chronic leg wounds. Dr. Sefcik discusses nurses’ experiences caring for community-dwelling persons living with dementia and chronic wounds. Mr. Hathaway examines factors that contribute to resilience in staff of a continuing care retirement community during the late stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. DiMaria-Ghalili, discussant, will synthesize these findings and offer insights on designing interventions to address health challenges and recommendations for supporting formal caregivers.

“I EAT TO NOT DIE”: DIET AND EXERCISE EXPERIENCES OF OLDER ADULTS LIVING ALONE

Abstract Living alone is a critical health risk factor among older adults. Regular exercise and a balanced diet are important for maintaining an independent and healthy life. However, it can be more difficult for older adults living alone to maintain healthy exercise and dietary habits due to the lack of social support. This was a qualitative descriptive study to explore the life changes that accompany living alone, focusing on exercise and diet and the need to improve the nutrition and physical activity of older adults living alone. Thematic analyses were applied to analyze the qualitative data collected from semistructured in-depth interviews. Fifteen subjects, including 5 men and 10 women, participated in the interviews. The mean age was 77.73 ± 7.37 years, and the mean duration of living alone was 17.73 ± 12.89 years. Six main themes were developed: unavoidable difficulties of living alone (lack of someone to depend on and loneliness), just eating “to not die”, exercise that is good for health but hard to do alone, conflict between maintaining independence and dependence on others, coping with available resources, and resources needed for regular exercise and a balanced diet. Living alone led to poor dietary habits, such as skipping meals or insufficient food intake. Food security should be ensured through the reinforcement of social support, financial assistance, and the operation of public cafeterias. In addition, a tailored group exercise program that can meet the need for social interaction and improve self-efficacy would help older adults living alone maintain regular exercise habits.

Flight performance of pollen starved honey bees and incomplete compensation through ingestion after early life pollen deprivation.

We investigated the effect of adult honey bee pollen nutrition on the flight performance of honey bees. Therefore, caged bees were allowed to perform 30min of defecation/training flights every second day before flight performance of pollen-fed bees and pollen-deprived bees older than 16days were compared in a flight mill. We first fed 10µL of 1M glucose solution to bees, and after they metabolized this during flight, they were fed 10µL of 2M glucose solution for a second flight test. Pollen-deprived bees flew longer and further than pollen-fed bees in both flights. Pollen-fed bees flew faster in the early period at the beginning of flights, whereas pollen-deprived bees were faster in the final phases. Pollen-fed bees were able to raise their maximum flight speed in 2M glucose solution flights, whereas pollen-constraint bees were not. The two groups did not differ in abdomen fresh weight, but the fresh weight of the head and thorax and dry weight of the head, thorax and abdomen were higher in pollen-fed bees. In a second experiment, we constrained pollen consumption of caged bees during the first 7days and compared daily consumption of bees from day 8-16 to consumption of bees unrestricted in pollen. We found that pollen-deprived bees perceive the pollen shortage and try to compensate for their needs by consuming significantly more pollen at the later phase of their life than pollen-fed bees of the same age. Still, bees constrained from pollen in the first 7days did only reach 51.1% of the lifetime consumption of unconstrained bees. This shows that bees can sense the need for essential nutrients from pollen, but their physiological apparatus does not allow them to fully compensate for their early life constraint. Pollen deprivation only in the first 7days of worker life likewise significantly reduced fresh and dry weights of the body sections (head, thorax, and abdomen) and survival. This underlines the importance of protein consumption in a short critical period early in adult bees' lives for their development and their performance later in life.

Vitamin B-6 and riboflavin, their metabolic interaction, and relationship with MTHFR genotype in adults aged 18–102 years

The generation of the active form of vitamin B-6, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP), in tissues is dependent upon riboflavin as flavin mononucleotide, but whether this interaction is important for maintaining vitamin B-6 status is unclear. To investigate vitamin B-6 and riboflavin status, their metabolic interaction, and relationship with methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) genotype in adulthood. Data from 5612 adults aged 18-102 y were drawn from the Irish National Adult Nutrition Survey (NANS; population-based sample) and the Trinity-Ulster Department of Agriculture (TUDA) and Genovit cohorts (volunteer samples). Plasma PLP and erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient (EGRac), as a functional indicator of riboflavin, were determined. Older (≥65 y) compared with younger (<65 y) adults had significantly lower PLP concentrations (P<0.001). A stepwise decrease in plasma PLP was observed across riboflavin categories, from optimal (EGRac ≤1.26), to suboptimal (EGRac: 1.27-1.39), to deficient (EGRac ≥1.40) status, an effect most pronounced in older adults (mean±SEM: 76.4±0.9 vs 65.0±1.1 vs 55.4±1.2nmol/L; P<0.001). In individuals with the variant MTHFR 677TT genotype combined with riboflavin deficiency, compared with non-TT (CC/CT) genotype participants with sufficient riboflavin, we observed PLP concentrations of 52.1±2.9 compared with 76.8±0.7nmol/L (P<0.001). In participants with available dietary data (i.e., NANS cohort, n = 936), PLP was associated with vitamin B-6 intake (nonstandardized regression coefficient β: 2.49; 95% CI 1.75, 3.24; P<0.001), supplement use (β: 81.72; 95% CI: 66.01, 97.43; P<0.001), fortified food (β: 12.49; 95% CI: 2.08, 22.91; P=0.019), and EGRac (β: -65.81; 95% CI: -99.08, -32.54; P<0.001), along with BMI (β: -1.81; 95% CI: -3.31, -0.30; P=0.019). These results are consistent with the known metabolic dependency of PLP on flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and suggest that riboflavin may be the limiting nutrient for maintaining vitamin B-6 status, particularly in individuals with the MTHFR 677TT genotype. Randomized trials are necessary to investigate the PLP response to riboflavin intervention within the dietary range. The TUDA study and the NANS are registered at www.ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT02664584 (27 January 2016) and NCT03374748 (15 December 2017), respectively.Clinical Trial Registry details: Trinity-Ulster-Department of Agriculture (TUDA) study, ClinicalTrials.gov no. NCT02664584 (January 27th 2016); National Adult Nutrition Survey (NANS), ClinicalTrials.gov no. NCT03374748 (December 15th 2017).

Nutrition for Older Adults.

The world population is aging rapidly. Japan has the oldest population in the world, with 28% of the current population aged 65 y or older. Maintaining good nutrition is important for preventing age-related deterioration in health. Physical activity levels, energy intake, and weight tend to decrease with age. Decreased food intake increases the risk of undernutrition due to the inadequate intake of essential nutrients. The proportion of the older population that is malnourished ranges from 1% to 5% among independent older adults living in the community, and increases to 30% to 50% among residents of care institutions. Among older adults, the risk of death increases with increasing leanness. In Japan, the government pays considerable attention to the prevention of adverse health effects related to obesity among young and middle-aged adults, although the adverse health effects related to undernutrition and being underweight among older adults have been overlooked. In addition to providing nutrients, eating has important psychological and social benefits. Therefore, there is a need to pay attention to the diet and nutritional needs of older adults in Japan in order to promote and maintain their physical and mental health.

Undergraduate Medical Students' Perceptions of Nutrition Education at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.

The objective of this evaluation was to determine Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) undergraduate medical education (UME) students' perceptions of the curriculum related to their nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and counseling self-efficacy/confidence. A 16-item electronic survey (Qualtrics©) was developed, and it included nutrition competency statements, adult and pediatric nutrition assessment and counseling confidence, and nutrition curriculum satisfaction. Students in Years 2, 3, and 4 (n = 192, 66%-73% female) were invited to answer the survey. Of the 61 respondents, 50.8% were Year 2, 34.9% Year 3, and 10.6% Year 4. Overall, 72.1% of the respondents were dissatisfied. Respondents perceived they were least competent in strategies to prevent and treat disease (72.1%), in applying basic dietary strategies (65.6%), and in ethics and nutrition management (62.3%), whereas 52.5% felt competent in the team approach to nutrition care. Respondents reported lowest confidence (less than 10%-15%) in specialized nutrition support, cancer care, renal nutrition, and mental health/eating disorders for both populations. NOSM medical learners reported curriculum dissatisfaction, nutrition incompetence, and poor levels of perceived confidence in nutrition management. Results will be used to inform nutrition curriculum enhancements and future outcome evaluations. Current and future physicians with enhanced nutrition knowledge, awareness of the Registered Dietitian (RD) roles, and an understanding of when to refer patients to an RD can provide better patient-centred care.

Association between Home-Cooking Frequency and Nutrient Intake Adequacy among Working Women in Malaysia

Women, especially those already married, usually will manage most household chores, including cooking. However, more significant percentage of married women have worked for a living in addition to doing household chores now [1]. Due to the long hours of working, it is hard for the women to frequently prepare meals at home, resulting in a lower quality of nutrient intake. The convenience meals, fast food, and other foods cooked outside the house are linked with a significantly greater calorie, sodium, and fat intake and a poorer intake of micronutrients [2].&#x0D; This cross-sectional study aims to determine the association between home cooking frequency and nutrient intake adequacy among working women in Malaysia. A total of 131 working women in Malaysia aged 18 to 60 were recruited using a convenience sampling method after excluding 9 participants due to the underreported dietary intake. The participants must answer the questionnaire regarding the frequency of cooking at home in a week. The nutrient intake is determined based on the 24-hours dietary recall and analyzed using Nutritionist Pro™ version 5.4.0 software. The participants were able to track their daily nutrient intake and home cooking frequency within a week.&#x0D; The participants (median age: 27.0 ± 17 years) were aged between 18 to 60 years old, predominantly married (51.1%), Malay (96.9%), and full-time workers (92.4%), with monthly income for most of the participants (78.6%) are ≤ RM 4 850. Also, 52% of the participants work in the government sector and most current work at Terengganu (48.1%). Also, the majority of the participants do not have any children below 18 years old (70.2%). Most of them live together with their husband and children (41.2%), followed by parents (29%).&#x0D; Most participants reported that they only tended to cook at home between zero to twice a week. Nevertheless, this study indicates that the median energy consumption is somewhat lower, at 1362 kcal, compared to the median energy intake of women from the 2014 Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey (MANS), which is 1445 kcal [3]. More than half of the individuals (54.2 %) had a poor diet, with scores of less than 51.&#x0D; &#x0D; To conclude, from this study, it is reported that most working women do not get a proper nutrient intake due to the long working hours and other responsibilities. This study revealed that adequate nutritional intake differed considerably between working women who regularly cooked throughout the week and those who did not. Understanding healthy food and ingredient selection along with healthy preparation may improve dietary habits while cooking food at home. Hence, simply devoting time to cooking food at home may not result in a healthy diet since other variables such as socioeconomic position, attitudes, and family preparation abilities may impact diet quality.

A Cross-Sectional Study on the Health Profile and Nutritional Status of Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu

Surprisingly, 541 million people have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) worldwide[1]. Prediabetes has been associated with an elevated risk of composite cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke and all-cause mortality2 as well as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) than normal glycaemia[1]. In Malaysia, the undiagnosed diabetes prevalence has increased3. Health profile and nutritional status play a crucial role in prediabetes development. However, there is a scarcity of related health profile characteristics and nutritional status data in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu.&#x0D; &#x0D; This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the health profile and nutritional status of adults at risk of T2DM in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu. A total of 30 respondents at moderate and high risk of T2DM (Finnish Type 2 Diabetes Risk Assessment Tool (FINDRISC) score &gt; 4) aged 18 to 59 years old were recruited from Kuala Nerus using a convenience sampling method. Information on socio-demographic, anthropometric, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) level, clinical profile, FINDRISC score, dietary intake, and physical activity level were obtained. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS system version 21.0 and Nutritionist ProTM software (Version 7.0.0, Axxya Systems). A descriptive statistic was used to present all outcomes. The continuous data were described as mean ± standard deviation (SD) whereas for categorical variables, the data were reported as the number of frequency and percentage.&#x0D; &#x0D; The respondents (mean age: 36.1 ± 8.7 years) were predominantly female (76.7%), Malay (96.7%), married (43.3%), with tertiary education (60.0%), and employed (83.3%) with a monthly income ranging below RM 1000. Half of the respondents were from the obese class I category. However, they had a normal FPG (5.6 ± 0.5 mmol/L) and were normotensive with a normal heart rate. Also, they had an average FINDRISC score of 6.3 ± 1.8. The respondents had excessive energy, fat, vitamin C, and selenium intake with insufficient dietary fibre, vitamin A, E, and K, calcium, and magnesium intake. Most of them (63.3%) were minimally active.&#x0D; The mean energy intake of this study was in accord with Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey (MANS) 2003 (2097 kcal) and MANS 2014 (2123 kcal) after excluding under-reporters [3]. The National Health Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019 stated that 25.1% of Malaysian adults were physically inactive which was slightly higher than the current study finding. On the contrary, a higher percentage (80.0%) of the study respondents were physically active than 74.9% as reported by NHMS (2019) [4].&#x0D; &#x0D; It is vital to determine the health profile and nutritional status, which can provide important information for planning future cost-effective T2DM preventive strategies. This is because a strategic method of primary prevention for T2DM is by managing risk factors through lifestyle modification.

Milk-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides: Overview, Applications, and Future Perspectives.

The growing consumer awareness towards healthy and safe food has reformed food processing strategies. Nowadays, food processors are aiming at natural, effective, safe, and low-cost substitutes for enhancing the shelf life of food products. Milk, besides being a rich source of nutrition for infants and adults, serves as a readily available source of precious functional peptides. Due to the existence of high genetic variability in milk proteins, there is a great possibility to get bioactive peptides with varied properties. Among other bioactive agents, milk-originated antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are gaining interest as attractive and safe additive conferring extended shelf life to minimally processed foods. These peptides display broad-spectrum antagonistic activity against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoans. Microbial proteolytic activity, extracellular peptidases, food-grade enzymes, and recombinant DNA technology application are among few strategies to tailor specific peptides from milk and enhance their production. These bioprotective agents have a promising future in addressing the global concern of food safety along with the possibility to be incorporated into the food matrix without compromising overall consumer acceptance. Additionally, in conformity to the current consumer demands, these AMPs also possess functional properties needed for value addition. This review attempts to present the basic properties, synthesis approaches, action mechanism, current status, and prospects of antimicrobial peptide application in food, dairy, and pharma industry along with their role in ensuring the safety and health of consumers.

Geographical distribution differences of nutrition and health knowledge among Chinese adults in 2021

To explore the geographical distribution of nutrition and health knowledge among 18-64 years old adults in China. A total of 102 398 residents aged 18-64 from 302 survey sites were selected by multi-stage cluster random sampling method, a total of 98 567 respondents were included in the study. Both mean and rate were calculated by complex sampling weighting. The nutrition and health knowledge score in eastern region(65.5±12.0) was higher than that in central(62.4±11.9) and western(61.4±12.9), and the score in northern region(63.9±11.8) was higher than that in southern(63.1±12.8). In the seven geographical regions, the highest score was in north(65.8±11.4), and the lowest score was in northwest(61.6±12.2). The awareness rate of nutrition and health in eastern region(22.4%) was higher than that in central(14.7%) and western(14.9%), the highest awareness rate among the seven geographic regions was in east(23.2%), followed by north(22.5%) and the lowest was in northwest(13.2%). There were also differences in nutritional health knowledge levels of residents in different regions in the five dimensions(P&lt;0.001). Northwest China had the lowest awareness of food characteristics and nutrition and disease dimensions, South China had the lowest awareness of dietary recommendations and food choices dimensions, and Southwest China had the lowest awareness of food safety dimensions. The level of nutrition and health knowledge of Chinese adults have large geographical differences.

Access channels on nutrition and health knowledge of Chinese adults in 2021

To analyze the access channels on nutritional health knowledge of Chinese residents aged 18-64 years in 2021. A multi-stage cluster random sampling was used to select 302 survey sites across the country, there were 102 398 people surveyed, with 98 424 valid questionnaires, 49.4% male and 42.0% urban, with an average age of(38.5±12.2) years old. A standardized questionnaire certified by experts and evaluated for reliability and validity was used to conduct the face-to-face survey. Descriptive statistics were used to report the access channels on nutrition and health knowledge of respondents, and the proportion of access channels of respondents with different characteristics was compared by chi-square test. The access channels on nutrition and health knowledge of Chinese residents aged 18-64 in 2021 were, in descending order, WeChat/Microblog/Tik Tok/Kuaishou and other software(77.0%), TV/radio(55.7%), family/relatives/friends(41.8%), books/newspapers/journals/magazines(32.5%), website search(30.7%), promotional lectures(29.3%) and other(1.9%). A high proportion of people who access nutrition and health knowledge through software, website searches and books/newspapers were mostly from the lower age groups, higher education groups, urban and eastern regions. People with a high proportion of access through TV/radio, family/relatives/friends and promotional lectures were mostly from the higher age groups, lower education groups, rural and western areas(P&lt;0.001). Women are more likely than men to obtain nutrition and health information from all channels except website search. The higher the level of education, the higher the level of concern for nutrition and health knowledge(P&lt;0.001). In 2021, the top access channel for Chinese residents aged 18-64 to obtain nutrition and health knowledge is WeChat/Microblog/Tik Tok/Kuaishou and other software. There are differences in access channels for different groups of people.

Expert consistency evaluation on nutrition and health knowledge questionnaire items for Chinese adults

To establish nutrition knowledge questionnaire items for Chinese adults by Delphi consensus study. The framework system and preliminary items of nutrition knowledge questionnaire were established through literature review and experts consultation, considering the nutrition status and problems of Chinese people. Delphi method was used to conduct consensus analysis with 11 experts in related field involved to determine the nutrition knowledge questionnaire items. The active coefficients of consultation in two rounds were both 100%(11/11), and the authority coefficients of experts were 0.900. The average scores of all items were(4.67±0.28) and(4.80±0.21), the variation coefficients were 0.06 and 0.04, and the Kendall harmony coefficients were 0.261(χ~2=39.645, P=0.004) and 0.324(χ~2=43.122, P=0.001), respectively. After the second round of consultation, all selected items met the inclusion criteria. Finally, 20-item nutrition knowledge questionnaire were determined, including five dimensions of dietary recommendations, food characteristics, nutrition and health, food choices and food safety. The Delphi consensus of nutrition knowledge questionnaire items for Chinese adults were basically achieved.

Association of vitamin D gene polymorphisms and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D in Chinese women of childbearing age

To analyze the relationship between vitamin D(VitD)-related single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D(25(OH) D) levels and VitD nutritional status. A total of 1507 women of childbearing age aged 18-45 were selected from the sample bank of "2015 Chinese adult chronic disease and nutrition monitoring". Basic information(including region, season, age, height, weight, etc. ) of the subjects was collected. The SNPs related to VitD metabolism were screened, and the improved multiple ligase detection reaction was used for SNP testing. Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the serum 25(OH)D concentration. The effects of genotypes on 25(OH)D level and VitD deficiency were analyzed by generalized linear model and binary logistic regression model, respectively. After adjusting for latitude, region, region type, season and age, CYP2R1 rs12794714, GC rs2282679, GC rs7041 and VDR rs2228570 were associated with serum 25(OH)D levels in women of childbearing age. The risk of VitD deficiency in individuals carrying GG genotype at rs2282679 was significantly higher than that in individuals carrying TT genotype(OR=2.466, 95%CI 1.690-3.598, P&lt;0.001), and the risk of VitD deficiency in individuals carrying A allele at rs2228570 was lower than that in individuals carrying G allele(OR_(AA)=0.625, 95%CI 0.446-0.876, P_(AA)=0.006;OR_(GA)=0.661, 95%CI 0.502-0.869, P_(GA)=0.003). The genotype distribution of CYP2R1 rs12794714, GC rs2282679, GC rs7041 and VDR rs2228570 may be related to serum 25(OH)D level or VitD nutritional status of Chinese women of childbearing age.

Rapid Analysis of Taurine in Infant Formula and Adult Nutritionals by Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Taurine is recognized as an essential growth factor and as being critical in the maintenance of functional tissue regulation. A rapid compliance method for the analysis of taurine that is applicable to infant formula and milk-based nutritional products is described. Following protein precipitation with Carrez solutions, taurine in the sample extract is separated by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) with detection by triple quadrupole mass spectrometry using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Stable isotope-labeled taurine internal standard is used for quantification to correct for losses in extraction and variations in ionization in the ion source. The method was shown to be accurate, with acceptable recovery of 99.6% (range = 91.1-106.5%). Results for National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-certified reference materials showed no statistical bias for NIST 1849a (P = 0.96) and NIST 1869 (P = 0.88) when compared with reference values. No bias was found when results were compared with those of an international reference method, AOAC Official MethodSM997.05 (P = 0.18). Repeatability was estimated to be 3.1% RSDr (range: 2.4-4.0%, HorRat: 0.3), and intermediate precision was estimated to be 4.9% RSDiR (range: 2.2-7.7%). Successful single-laboratory validation demonstrates that this rapid method is suitable for use in high-throughput laboratories as part of routine product compliance release testing of taurine in nutritional products. A method for the analysis of taurine in infant formula and adult nutritionals by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is described. The method is suitable for use in high-throughput laboratories for routine product compliance testing of taurine. A single-laboratory validation study demonstrated the method to be accurate, precise, and fit for purpose.

Assessing the Health and Environmental Benefits of a New Zealand Diet Optimised for Health and Climate Protection

Population diets have impacts on both human and planetary health. This research aims to optimise a New Zealand (NZ) version of the EAT-Lancet diet and to model the impact of this diet on population health if it was adopted in NZ. The optimisation methods used mathematical equations in Excel to ensure: population diets met the nutritional recommendations; diet-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions did not exceed the NZ GHG boundary; and diet costs did not exceed baseline costs of the average diet. The EAT-Lancet diet was also directly mapped onto the NZ adult nutrition survey food groups, as another estimate of a NZ EAT-Lancet diet. Both diets were modelled using a DIET multi-state life-table model to estimate lifetime impacts on quality adjusted life years (QALYs), ethnic health inequities and health system costs. The optimised diet differed greatly from baseline intake with large amounts of fruits and vegetables, some fish but no beef, lamb, pork or poultry. Modelling nationwide adoption of the NZ EAT-Lancet diets generated large health savings (approximately 1.4 million QALYs), and health system cost savings (around NZD 20 billion). A healthy, climate-friendly, cost-neutral diet is possible for NZ and, if adopted, could provide large health gain, cost savings and reductions in ethnic health inequities.

Nutrition Literacy of Overweight/Obese and Non-Overweight/Obese Turkish Women and Affecting Factors

Abstract Background Nutrition literacy is having the skills and abilities required to prepare food, make healthy food preferences, and understand its effects on health, environment, and economy. Inadequate nutrition literacy can lead to an unhealthy diet, overweight, or obesity. Along with inadequate nutrition literacy, gender is also a risk factor for obesity. In this regard, it is seen that women’s level of nutrition literacy has an important role in gaining healthy eating habits and preventing chronic diseases related to nutrition such as obesity. This study aims to determine the level of nutrition literacy of adult Turkish women and the factors affecting. Methods In this comparative descriptive research, 239 women were selected into 2 groups by their BMI, from Public Education Centers in Istanbul, Turkey, by using simple random sampling method. Data were collected using Introductory Characteristics Form and Adult Nutrition Literacy Assessment Tool. For statistical analysis, Pearson Chi-Square, Mann Whitney U and logistic regression were used. Results In the study, adequate numerical literacy and food label reading rates in overweight/obese women were found lower (p = 0.000) than non-overweight/obese women. It was found that the number of main meals increases the nutrition literacy level of non-overweight/obese women 2.628 times (p = 0.012). In the overweight/obese group, it was found that number of children (p = 0.040), waist circumference (p = 0.048), snack amount (p = 0.022) and Youtube usage (p = 0.041) increase nutrition literacy levels. Conclusions The nutrition literacy of both groups was found to be high. However it is highly affected by YouTube usage which provides a new perspective in terms of public health practices and policies. It is recommended for public health professionals to: • use social media platforms and provide evidence-based information • monitor the height, weight and BMI of individuals in the risk group • organize interventions to strengthen nutritional literacy Key messages • Adequate numerical literacy and food label reading sub-dimension mean scores of overweight/obese women was lower than the non-overweight/obese women. • Spending time on Youtube increases the nutrition literacy levels in overweight/obese women by 91,116 times which points to the relationship between nutritional literacy and social media use.

A cross-sectional study on dietary assessment, oral hygiene behavior, and oral health status of adolescent girls.

Adolescents are a population group that is vulnerable to nutritional problems other than toddlers, especially young women. Special attention to the dietary issues of adolescent girls needs to be obtained along with the increase in the adolescent population in Indonesia because this affects the growth and development of the body and will impact adult nutrition problems. The purpose of the study was to analyze the relationship between diet assessment and oral health status of adolescent girls, the relationship between oral hygiene behavior and oral health status of adolescent girls, and the simultaneous relationship between dietary assessment and oral hygiene behavior with the oral health status of adolescent girls. Analytical research using the survey method was conducted on 96 young women in two junior high schools in Bandung. Assessment of diet seen from eating behavior and anthropometric examination. Eating behavior using the Adolescent Food Habit Checklist Index questionnaire and anthropometric investigations were carried out by looking at body height, body weight, and Mid Upper Arm Circumference using the standards from the Indonesian Minister of Health Regulation 2020. Oral hygiene behavior using the Oral Hygiene Behavior Index questionnaire. Oral health status using the Dental Health Status Assessment. The results were statistically analyzed with Spearman’s Rank Correlation, and Multiple Linear Regression tests showed no significant relationship between dietary assessment and oral health status (eating behavior with a p-value = 0.429 and anthropometric examination with a p-value = 0.262). A significant association between oral hygiene behavior and oral health status, with a p-value of 0.003, while there is no simultaneous relationship between diet assessment and oral hygiene behavior with oral health status, with multiple r2 = 13.2%.

The Relationship between Dietary Patterns and High Blood Glucose among Adults Based on Structural Equation Modelling.

: AimsThe aim of this study was to examine the association between dietary patterns and high blood glucose in Jiangsu province of China by using structural equation modelling (SEqM). Methods: Participants in this cross-sectional study were recruited through the 2015 Chinese Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance Program in Jiangsu province using a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method. Dietary patterns were defined by exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the fitness of EFA. SEqM was used to investigate the association between dietary patterns and high blood glucose. Results: After exclusion, 3137 participants with complete information were analysed for this study. The prevalence of high blood glucose was 9.3% and 8.1% in males and females, respectively. Two dietary patterns: the modern dietary pattern (i.e., high in red meats and its products, vegetables, seafood, condiments, fungi and algae, main grains and poultry; low in other grains, tubers and preserves), and the fruit–milk dietary pattern (i.e., high in milk and its products, fruits, eggs, nuts and seeds and pastry snacks, but low in vegetable oils) were established. Modern dietary pattern was found to be positively associated with high blood glucose in adults in Jiangsu province (multivariate logistic regression: OR = 1.561, 95% CI: 1.025~2.379; SEqM: β = 0.127, p < 0.05). Conclusion: The modern dietary pattern—high intake of red meats—was significantly associated with high blood glucose among adults in Jiangsu province of China, while the fruit–milk dietary pattern was not significantly associated with high blood glucose.

A Clustering Approach to Meal-Based Analysis of Dietary Intakes Applied to Population and Individual Data

ABSTRACTBackgroundExamination of meal intakes can elucidate the role of individual meals or meal patterns in health not evident by examining nutrient and food intakes. To date, meal-based research has been limited to focus on population rather than individual intakes, without considering portions or nutrient content when characterizing meals.ObjectivesWe aimed to characterize meals commonly consumed, incorporating portions and nutritional content, and to determine the accuracy of nutrient intake estimates using these meals at both population and individual levels.MethodsThe 2008–2010 Irish National Adult Nutrition Survey (NANS) data were used. A total of 1500 participants, with a mean ± SD age of 44.5 ± 17.0 y and BMI of 27.1 ± 5.0 kg/m2, recorded their intake using a 4-d weighed food diary. Food groups were identified using k-means clustering. Partitioning around the medoids clustering was used to categorize similar meals into groups (generic meals) based on their Nutrient Rich Foods Index (NRF9.3) score and the food groups that they contained. The nutrient content for each generic meal was defined as the mean content of the grouped meals. Seven standard portion sizes were defined for each generic meal. Mean daily nutrient intakes were estimated using the original and the generic data.ResultsThe 27,336 meals consumed were aggregated to 63 generic meals. Effect sizes from the comparisons of mean daily nutrient intakes (from the original compared with generic meals) were negligible or small, with P values ranging from <0.001 to 0.941. When participants were classified according to nutrient-based guidelines (high, adequate, or low), the proportion of individuals who were classified into the same category ranged from 55.3% to 91.5%.ConclusionsA generic meal–based method can estimate nutrient intakes based on meal rather than food intake at the sample population and individual levels. Future work will focus on incorporating this concept into a meal-based dietary intake assessment tool.