Perceived Health Benefits Research Articles

Relationships Between Cooking Properties and Physicochemical Properties in Brown and White Rice

Brown rice presently attracts a growing number of customers due to its perceived health benefits, but its cooking properties differ from white rice. This study aims to investigate the relationship between physicochemical properties and cooking properties of brown rice and white rice. Brown rice samples generally are found to have higher thousand kernel weight, and minimum cooking time, but lower length/breadth ratio, pasting viscosity values (except setback), swelling power, water uptake ratio, gruel solid loss, cooked length/breadth ratio, and elongation ratio than white rice. Brown and white rice from the same cultivar show some differences regarding their gelatinization properties. The cooking property differences between brown and white rice may be explained by impact of embryo and protection by bran layers. Correlation analysis indicate that cooking properties are little correlated to the flour physicochemical properties, except minimum cooking time. Although apparent amylose content show strong correlations with most flour physicochemical properties, gelatinization temperature may be preferred to be used for prediction of minimum cooking time in both brown and white rice.

Nutritional implications of dietary interventions for managing gastrointestinal disorders.

The aim of this review is to summarize some of the key dietary interventions recommended for common gastrointestinal disorders and to discuss recent evidence regarding their nutritional implications. The gluten-free diet has been shown to negatively influence overall diet quality. The gluten-free diet is essential in celiac disease, although it is increasingly used for other perceived health benefits for which an analysis of perceived benefit should be weighed against any nutritional risks. Evidence from short-term controlled trials of a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharide and polyols in irritable bowel syndrome suggests compromised intake of nutrients such as fiber, iron, and calcium, although findings vary across studies. Meanwhile long-term uncontrolled trials suggest dietary adequacy improves with reintroduction and personalization. Although high-fiber diets may be beneficial in diverticular disease and constipation, it may lead to reductions in energy intake and nutrient absorption in at-risk populations. The role of therapeutic diets in the management of gastrointestinal disorders is increasingly recognized, but there are limited studies investigating their nutritional implications. The judicious use of dietetic expertise should minimize potential nutritional deficits, however further prospective trials are needed to identify the individuals and nutrients most at risk.

Lay Perceptions of Healthy Eating Styles and Their Health Impacts

ObjectiveThis study examined perceptions of healthy eating styles among US respondents to determine whether eating styles are defined as a distinct set of people's healthy eating beliefs and how different aspects of eating styles are perceived to affect health. DesignIn-person pile sort activities were used to identify key dimensions of healthy eating beliefs, and online surveys were used to confirm these dimensions and examine perceived health benefits of healthy eating styles. ParticipantsThe pile-sorting activity recruited 48 US participants in the Phoenix metropolitan area via social media and snowball sampling. Online surveys recruited US participants via Amazon Mechanical Turk (survey 1, n = 70; survey 2, n = 283). AnalysisThe researchers used an exploratory visualizing technique (multidimensional scaling) to analyze pile sort data; Property Filling (PROFIT) analysis was used to analyze online survey 1; paired sample t test and repeated-measures ANOVA were used to analyze online survey 2. ResultsEating styles are a distinct set of beliefs within lay models of healthful diets (P < .001) viewed as important for a number of health outcomes, including weight management. Conclusions and ImplicationsIn addition to educating the public about choosing healthy food characteristics, health and nutrition professionals may need to address people's beliefs regarding healthy eating styles to identify gaps and misconceptions. Future research is needed to examine the relationships between such beliefs and corresponding behaviors, as well as whether these behaviors result in any health benefits.

Enhancing the fatty acid profile of milk through forage-based rations, with nutrition modeling of diet outcomes.

Consumer demand for milk and meat from grass‐fed cattle is growing, driven mostly by perceived health benefits and concerns about animal welfare. In a U. S.‐wide study of 1,163 milk samples collected over 3 years, we quantified the fatty acid profile in milk from cows fed a nearly 100% forage‐based diet (grassmilk) and compared it to profiles from a similar nationwide study of milk from cows under conventional and organic management. We also explored how much the observed differences might help reverse the large changes in fatty acid intakes that have occurred in the United States over the last century. Key features of the fatty acid profile of milk fat include its omega‐6/omega‐3 ratio (lower is desirable), and amounts of total omega‐3, conjugated linoleic acid, and long‐chain omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. For each, we find that grassmilk is markedly different than both organic and conventional milk. The omega‐6/omega‐3 ratios were, respectively, 0.95, 2.28, and 5.77 in grassmilk, organic, and conventional milk; total omega‐3 levels were 0.049, 0.032, and 0.020 g/100 g milk; total conjugated linoleic acid levels were 0.043, 0.023, and 0.019 g/100 g milk; and eicosapentaenoic acid levels were 0.0036, 0.0033, and 0.0025 g/100 g milk. Because of often high per‐capita dairy consumption relative to most other sources of omega‐3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, these differences in grassmilk can help restore a historical balance of fatty acids and potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular and other metabolic diseases. Although oily fish have superior concentrations of long‐chain omega‐3 fatty acids, most fish have low levels of α‐linolenic acid (the major omega‐3), and an omega‐6/omega‐3 ratio near 7. Moreover, fish is not consumed regularly, or at all, by ~70% of the U. S. population.

A Qualitative Assessment of the Acceptability of Smartphone Applications for Improving Sleep Behaviors in Low-Income and Minority Adolescents

ABSTRACTBackground: Daily behaviors such as sleep can be targeted by smartphone app-based interventions, with potential utility among young people of minority ethnic backgrounds who commonly access smartphone devices and are short sleepers. There is a need to understand the acceptability and youth’s readiness to use apps to improve sleep, and to identify desired app components that would motivate engagement. Participants and Methods: We conducted three focus group discussions (N = 27 total, age 14–18 years) within low- and middle-income ethnically diverse Boston neighborhoods. We also interviewed 10 participants who provided specific feedback on two commercially available sleep-promoting apps, one of which they had used on their smartphone preceding the interviews. All focus group discussions and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Results: We identified several barriers to adoption of sleep hygiene interventions, namely reluctance to follow scheduled sleep routines on weekends and concern about “parting” with electronics at bedtime. Participants were intrigued by the idea of adopting an app-based sleep intervention, but were skeptical that they could successfully adopt sleep hygiene practices, and were more interested in making changes on school days than on weekends. Nonetheless, the overall feedback on two commercial sleep apps, neither targeted at youth, was positive, with a good adherence and engagement rate, and perceived health benefits. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need to adapt sleep hygiene recommendations to targeted populations, considering preferences and social and cultural contextual factors. Our research also underscores the importance of the platform, setting, and messenger when delivering health information to adolescents.

Perceived health benefits of managed and unmanaged meadows in a mountain biosphere reserve – an experimental study in the Austrian Alps

Many societies are faced with a growing prevalence of poor health because of stress and sedentary lifestyles. Natural and semi-natural landscapes are increasingly seen as restorative settings, compensating for negative psycho-physiological effects on humans. The extent of these positive effects, however, may depend on the landscape’s degree of naturalness and perceptions of biodiversity, scenic beauty and restorativeness. We assessed the perceived health benefits for 22 participants (age M = 27 years) who twice visited a managed and an abandoned meadow in the Austrian Großes Walsertal Biosphere Reserve. This study found that perceived health benefits did not differ between the managed and unmanaged meadows; participants reported a positive effect of their stays in both meadows on attention restoration, stress reduction and well-being. However, differences between the meadow types did emerge in terms of perceptions of their naturalness and biodiversity, and of perceptions of them as restorative places. Potentially, these restorative benefits can be used for new health-related offers for visitors to mountain biosphere reserves.

Knowledge and Perceived Health Benefits of Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty among Patients with Coronary Heart Disease

Introduction: The determination of the knowledge and perceived health benefits of Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA) from the patient’s view of understanding helps to develop a holistic approach to health care. Aim: The study aimed to assess the knowledge and perceived health benefits of PTCA and to find the association of knowledge with the perceived health benefits and demographic variables among the patients with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). Materials and Methods: A descriptive survey design was used and data were collected from 130 participants of cardiac wards of a tertiary care hospital, Karnataka, using structured knowledge questionnaire about PTCA and post-PTCA health benefits scale. Later a leaflet about PTCA was given to the participants. Subjects diagnosed with CHD and on the first post procedural day of PTCA were included in the study and patients with psychiatric disorders and medical disorders except diabetes mellitus and hypertension were excluded. Descriptive statistics was used to describe the sample characteristics, Chi-Square was used for association. Results: The mean age of the sample was 54 years, the mean knowledge score was 7.35±2.855 and 15.4%, 69.2% and 15.4% of the participants had good, moderate and poor knowledge respectively. The PTCA procedure was perceived as highly beneficial by 79.2% of participants and association was not found between knowledge and perceived health benefits of PTCA (p>0.05). Conclusion: The study highlights the need for planning programs for continuing individualised health education on PTCA for the patients and their families to make changes in the patient’s wrong perception of health benefits after PTCA.

Effets bénéfiques de la forêt sur la santé et le bien-être. L’expérience de la recherche finlandaise

The role of forests in enhancing human health and well-being has been studied in Finland for more than a decade, and these benefits are increasingly recognized by the Finnish society. The national research has studied the associations of use and availability of nature with health using different research methods such as population surveys, on-site field experiments, and combining GIS-based data describing the provision of nature areas with use of the areas and health status of people. This article sums up research results from multidisciplinary research work in Finland. One of the main study areas has been restorative effects of nature areas using various psychological measures. These studies demonstrate that forests and other nature areas are important in reducing stress and add recovery from work. Moreover, field experiments have confirmed that visiting forests have beneficial psychological and physiological effects on human health. These effects can be explained by psychological stress relief with contribution from reduced air pollution and noise exposure during the visits. In addition, studies looking at long-term effects of nature exposure suggest that physical activity has a mediating role in perceived health benefits, particularly among suburban residents. Recent efforts include national policy-science discussions on how the research knowledge can be implemented within various sectors such as public health and land-use planning and forest management. This work has resulted a suggestion for a national program called Nature for Health and Well-Being in Finland consisting of an action plan and a multidisciplinary research program. More comprehensive research knowledge has contributed to and triggered series of practical experiments and pilots that are briefly discussed in the article.

Reductionin Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in vitro and on tomato by sophorolipid and sanitiser as affected by temperature and storage time

SummaryIncreased consumption of produce by consumers has been attributed to perceived health benefits of postharvest produce. Pathogen control is crucial because periodic occurrences and contamination of tomato and leafy greens have exacerbated food safety risks for consumers. We investigated the effects of temperatures (5 and 25 °C), storage time (30 min and 24 h) for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica and Escherichia coli O157:H7 by sophorolipid (SL‐p) produced fermentatively using palmitic acid as a co‐substrate at different concentrations in vitro. Reduction in pathogenic bacteria on grape tomato by SL‐p, sanitiser (Lovit) and combinations of SL‐p and sanitiser was determined. Temperature and storage time significantly (P &lt; 0.05) affected pathogen inactivations by SL‐p as pathogen reductions were greater at 25 °C and 24 h than at 5 °C and 30 min of storage. L. monocytogenes was the most sensitive to SL‐p treatment as reductions of 5 log relative to untreated controls were attained at 0.12% of SL‐p. Significant reductions in S. enterica (1.91–3.85 logs) and E. coli O157:H7 (0.87–4.09 logs) were recorded at 2–5% of SL‐p. Lower populations of Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 were inactivated than L. monocytogenes. On grape tomato, pathogen populations inactivated increased at higher SL‐p levels at 25 °C. Sanitiser and sanitiser + SL‐p reduced bacterial populations on tomato by 5.29–5.76 logs and 0.71–3.3.66 logs, respectively. These results imply the interactions of temperature, storage time and SL‐p significantly (P &lt; 0.05) affected pathogen strain reductions. The combination of SL‐p with sanitiser led to synergistic effect on E. coli O157:H7, but not L. monocytogenes and S. enterica.

Physical Activity and its Determinants among First-year Students of Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences

Physical activity is a fundamental means of improving physical and mental health. Although academic youth can be described as a relatively healthy population group of society, both in Lithuania and other countries research data suggests that many students do not meet the physical activity recommendations of the World Health Organization. Knowing how important an adequate physical activity is in the life of students it is necessary to identify maintaining factors and barriers which condition this activity.&#x0D; The object of research is physical activity and factors influencing it.&#x0D; The aim is to establish physical activity and its determinants among students of Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences.&#x0D; The survey was conducted in 2013–2014. The study population consisted of first-year full-time students from the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences from 20 teachers’ training study programs. The sample size was 432 persons (32.6% males and 67.4% females) aged 18–23 (mean age 19.35 ± 1.02). An anonymous paper-and-pencil questionnaire was used to collect data on university students’ socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported health status, and maintaining factors or perceived barriers to physical activity participation. The physical activity levels were measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – IPAQ. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using SPSS software package, version 16.0. To assess contingency tables, Chi-square test was used. Differences were considered to be statistically significant at p &lt; 0.05.&#x0D; According to the results of the presented study 16.2% of the students had low, 29.9% – moderate, and 53.9% – high level of physical activity. Significantly higher physical activity was observed among males (69.5%) than females (46.4%). The results showed that most commonly reported factors positively impacting on participation in physical activity are perceived health benefits (70.5%) and the aspiration to maintain good physical shape (58,3%). The results of the research also confirmed that barriers to physical activity are a lack of time (44.7%), lack of will, stubbornness, and laziness (29.6%).

Satisfaction and perceptions of long-term manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury upon completion of a locomotor training program with an overground robotic exoskeleton

Aim: The main objectives of this study were to quantify clients’ satisfaction and perception upon completion of a locomotor training program with an overground robotic exoskeleton.Methods: A group of 14 wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury, who finished a 6–8-week locomotor training program with the robotic exoskeleton (18 training sessions), were invited to complete a web-based electronic questionnaire. This questionnaire encompassed 41 statements organized around seven key domains: overall satisfaction related to the training program, satisfaction related to the overground robotic exoskeleton, satisfaction related to the program attributes, perceived learnability, perceived health benefits and risks and perceived motivation to engage in physical activity. Each statement was rated using a visual analogue scale ranging from “0 = totally disagree” to “100 = completely agree”.Results: Overall, respondents unanimously considered themselves satisfied with the locomotor training program with the robotic exoskeleton (95.7 ± 0.7%) and provided positive feedback about the robotic exoskeleton itself (82.3 ± 6.9%), the attributes of the locomotor training program (84.5 ± 6.9%) and their ability to learn to perform sit–stand transfers and walk with the robotic exoskeleton (79.6 ± 17%). Respondents perceived some health benefits (67.9 ± 16.7%) and have reported no fear of developing secondary complications or of potential risk for themselves linked to the use of the robotic exoskeleton (16.7 ± 8.2%). At the end of the program, respondents felt motivated to engage in a regular physical activity program (91.3 ± 0.1%).Conclusion: This study provides new insights on satisfaction and perceptions of wheelchair users while also confirming the relevance to continue to improve such technologies, and informing the development of future clinical trials.Implications for RehabilitationAll long-term manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury who participated in the study are unanimously satisfied upon completion of a 6–8-week locomotor training program with the robotic exoskeleton and would recommend the program to their peers.All long-term manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury who participated in the study offered positive feedback about the robotic exoskeleton itself and feel it is easy to learn to perform sit–stand transfers and walk with the robotic exoskeleton.All long-term manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury who participated in the study predominantly perceived improvements in their overall health status, upper limb strength and endurance as well as in their sleep and psychological well-being upon completion of a 6–8-week locomotor training program with the robotic exoskeleton.All long-term manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury who participated in the study unanimously felt motivated to engage in a regular physical activity program adapted to their condition and most of them do plan to continue to participate in moderate-to-strenuous physical exercise.Additional research on clients’ perspectives, especially satisfaction with the overground exoskeleton and locomotor training program attributes, is needed.

What motivates men to donate blood? A systematic review of the evidence.

Effective recruitment and retention of male donors are vital for the ongoing provision of blood products. Compared with females, male donors are less likely to be medically deferred or experience vasovagal reactions and are typically preferred for plasmapheresis donation in voluntary non-remunerated settings. However, females outnumber males among donors aged under 40years. This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence and identify key motivators for blood donation among males to inform targeted recruitment/retention campaigns. Databases (e.g. EBSCOhost, Web of Science) were searched using terms (dona* OR dono*) AND (blood OR aphaeresis OR apheresis OR plasma* OR platelet* OR platlet*) in title AND (male OR gender OR sex OR female) AND (motivat* OR intention OR attitude OR behavi* OR predictor OR barrier OR deter*) NOT (organ OR sperm OR tissue OR autologous OR oocyte) in text. Two researchers independently systematically scanned quantitative, full-text, English language, peer-reviewed publications from 1990 to 2015 that examined males/females separately with outcomes of blood donation or self-reported intention. Two additional researchers resolved discrepancies. Among 28 identified articles, the most frequently cited motivators for male blood product donation were as follows: altruism; positive attitude towards incentives; health check(s); subjective norms. Altruism was less pronounced among males compared with females and was combined with 'warm glow' in novice males (impure altruism). Perceived health benefits and incentives (e.g. coffee mugs) were stronger motivators of males than females. Marketing campaigns for recruitment/retention of male donors should focus on identified motivators rather than take a 'one-size-fits-all' approach.

Exploring the perceived health benefits of singing in a choir: an international cross-sectional mixed-methods study.

This mixed-methods exploratory study investigates the perceived health benefits of singing in a choir from an international sample of choristers. An online questionnaire including demographic information, 28 quantitative statements and two qualitative questions relating to the perceived health benefits of singing in a choir was distributed via email and social media over a period of 4 months to a sample of 1,779 choristers. Basic descriptives and comparisons between subgroups of the sample are presented along with thematic analysis of qualitative comments. Basic descriptives suggest an overwhelmingly positive response. Females scored significantly higher than males on physical benefits, social benefits and emotional benefits. Professional singers reported significantly more physical, social and spiritual benefits than amateur singers. Bias may be present in these findings as the results were entirely self-reported by people who already sing in choirs. Qualitative thematic analysis identified six key themes which may counter this bias by providing deeper understanding of the perceived benefits for choir singers. These include social connection, physical and physiological benefits (specifically respiratory health), cognitive stimulation, mental health, enjoyment and transcendence. Choral singing elicits a positive response in the chorister across a plethora of domains. This research confirms previous findings on the health benefits of singing but offers evidence from the largest sample of singers to date. However, results are based on self-perceptions of choristers, and findings are, therefore, limited. Results may be used as a base on which to develop further research in this area. It also provides confirmatory evidence to support choral singing as a means of improving wellbeing in many populations, including but not limited to workplaces, schools, nursing homes, communities and churches.

Examining Factors of Engagement With Digital Interventions for Weight Management: Rapid Review.

BackgroundDigital interventions for weight management provide a unique opportunity to target daily lifestyle choices and eating behaviors over a sustained period of time. However, recent evidence has demonstrated a lack of user engagement with digital health interventions, impacting on the levels of intervention effectiveness. Thus, it is critical to identify the factors that may facilitate user engagement with digital health interventions to encourage behavior change and weight management.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to identify and synthesize the available evidence to gain insights about users’ perspectives on factors that affect engagement with digital interventions for weight management.MethodsA rapid review methodology was adopted. The search strategy was executed in the following databases: Web of Science, PsycINFO, and PubMed. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they investigated users’ engagement with a digital weight management intervention and were published from 2000 onwards. A narrative synthesis of data was performed on all included studies.ResultsA total of 11 studies were included in the review. The studies were qualitative, mixed-methods, or randomized controlled trials. Some of the studies explored features influencing engagement when using a Web-based digital intervention, others specifically explored engagement when accessing a mobile phone app, and some looked at engagement after text message (short message service, SMS) reminders. Factors influencing engagement with digital weight management interventions were found to be both user-related (eg, perceived health benefits) and digital intervention–related (eg, ease of use and the provision of personalized information).ConclusionsThe findings highlight the importance of incorporating user perspectives during the digital intervention development process to encourage engagement. The review contributes to our understanding of what facilitates user engagement and points toward a coproduction approach for developing digital interventions for weight management. Particularly, it highlights the importance of thinking about user-related and digital tool–related factors from the very early stages of the intervention development process.

Prospects for insects as food in Switzerland: A tobit regression

A great deal of attention has been dedicated to entomophagy (i.e., the eating of insects) in Western Europe in the last few years. Several studies have accounted for the importance of entomophagy, the evaluation of insects’ nutritional benefits, and their potential for the market. Specifically, predictors of the acceptance and consumption of edible insects, including attitudinal beliefs and values, have been examined by means of mathematical models. This study provides an overview of the predictors that are currently used to explain the willingness to consume insects. Based on a survey conducted in Switzerland, this study includes, to the best of our knowledge, all these predictors in an encompassing tobit regression model and reports the magnitude of their effects to select a set of predictors that can be used for future studies. Moreover, it discusses the interaction-effects between those predictors.We found a set of nine significant variables reliably predicting the willingness to consume insects: convenience orientation, the discernibility of insects in food, expected food healthiness, the need for familiarity, food neophobia, food technology neophobia, the perceived health benefits of meat, and the binary variables gender and prior consumption. For the present data, food neophobia was not found to be the key predictor of willingness to consume insects, but shares its rank with various predictors. Further, the analysis revealed one meaningful two-way interaction effect.

Exercise Testing Reveals Everyday Physical Challenges of Bariatric Surgery Candidates.

Few studies have quantified cardiorespiratory fitness among individuals seeking bariatric surgery. Treadmill testing allows researchers to determine exercise capacity through metabolic equivalents. These findings can assist clinicians in understanding patients' capabilities to carry out various activities of daily living. The purpose of this study was to determine exercise tolerance and the variables associated with fitness, among individuals seeking bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery candidates completed submaximal treadmill testing and provided ratings of perceived exertion. Each participant also completed questionnaires related to history of exercise, mood, and perceived barriers/benefits of exercise. Over half of participants reported that exercise was "hard to very hard" before reaching 70% of heart rate reserve, and one-third of participantsreported that exercise was "moderately hard" at less than 3 metabolic equivalents (light activity). Body mass index and age accounted for the majority of the variance in exercise tolerance, but athletic history, employment status, and perceived health benefits also contributed. Perceived benefit scores were higher than barrier scores. Categories commonly used to describe moderate-intensity exercise (3-6 metabolic equivalents) do not coincide with perceptions of intensity among many bariatric surgery candidates, especially those with a body mass index of 50 or more.

Controlled and uncontrolled communication stimuli and organic food purchases: The mediating role of perceived communication clarity, perceived health benefits, and trust

Despite a growing demand worldwide, organic food remains a niche category, with consumers only purchasing it some of the time. This study examines the mediating effects of consumers’ perceived clarity of organic food-related communication, trust for, and perceived health benefits of organic foods in the relationship between controlled and uncontrolled communication stimuli and organic food purchases. We test our hypotheses on a sample of 1011 Australian organic food consumers using Structural Equation Modeling. We find that all mediators except perceived communication clarity perform as hypothesized, with the latter not mediating the relationship between uncontrolled communications and perceived health benefits of organic foods. The results suggest that marketers should ensure clarity in controlled organic food communications, signal health benefits of organic food and build consumer trust to generate organic purchases.

Eating flowers? Exploring attitudes and consumers' representation of edible flowers

Edible flowers have gained more attention in recent years thanks to their perceived health benefits. Despite this attention, it seems that edible flowers are not popularized for consumption in South America, being considered unfamiliar for some cultures from this continent. In this context, the general goal of the present study was to investigate the three dimensions of social representation theory, the representational field, the information and the attitude of the two conditions of edible flowers: a more general “food made with flowers” and more directional product “yoghurt made with flowers”, using Brazilian consumers. To achieve this goal, a free word association task was applied. A total of 549 consumers participated in this study. Participants were divided into two conditions, in which the inductor expressions for the free word association task changed: (a) food products made with flowers and (b) yoghurt made with flowers. Results showed a very positive attitude to both situations, and consumers associated Food products made with flowers to “health care” while the central core of yoghurt made with flowers reflected the innovative condition of this product, supported here by their unpredictable character (information generated).

Association between noncow milk beverage consumption and childhood height

Background: Cow milk consumption in childhood has been associated with increased height, which is an important measure of children's growth and development. Many parents are choosing noncow milk beverages such as soy and almond milk because of perceived health benefits. However, noncow milk contains less protein and fat than cow milk and may not have the same effect on height.Objective: We sought to determine whether there is an association between noncow milk consumption and lower height in childhood and assess whether cow milk consumption mediates the relation between noncow milk consumption and height.Design: This was a cross-sectional study of 5034 healthy Canadian children aged 24-72 mo enrolled in the Applied Research Group for Kids cohort. The primary exposure was the volume of noncow milk consumption (number of 250-mL cups per day). The primary outcome was height, which was measured as height-for-age z score. Multivariable linear regression was used to determine the association between noncow milk consumption and height. A mediation analysis was conducted to explore whether cow milk consumption mediated the association between noncow milk consumption and height.Results: There was a dose-dependent association between higher noncow milk consumption and lower height (P < 0.0001). For each daily cup of noncow milk consumed, children were 0.4 cm (95% CI: 0.2, 0.8 cm) shorter. In the mediation analysis, lower cow milk consumption only partially mediated the association between noncow milk consumption and lower height. The height difference for a child aged 3 y consuming 3 cups noncow milk/d relative to 3 cups cow milk/d was 1.5 cm (95% CI: 0.8, 2.0 cm).Conclusions: Noncow milk consumption was associated with lower childhood height. Future research is needed to understand the causal relations between noncow milk consumption and height.

Electronic Cigarettes in Germany: Patterns of Use and Perceived Health Improvement

Aims: The aim of the study was to characterize e-cigarette users in terms of their consumption patterns, motives, and the perceived health benefits they experience from using e-cigarettes. Design: The study was a cross-sectional online survey in 2015. A total of 3,320 German e-cigarette users were enrolled. A total of 91.5% were former tobacco smokers, 7.5% used both e-cigarettes and tobacco products, 1.0% were never-smokers. Results: No differences were found between ex-smokers and dual users with regard to sociodemographic and smoking history (mean age 40.8 years, 81% men, 45% with a high school degree or above). Both groups had smoked 26.4 tobacco cigarettes a day for 22 years, had unsuccessfully tried to quit smoking using various other nicotine replacement products, and had used e-cigarettes for an average of 2 years. Ex-smokers consumed lower nicotine strength and more liquid per month, experienced more positive health changes, and had made vaping their hobby. Never-smokers were about 5 years younger, used liquid without nicotine and without tobacco flavor, and had no physical dependency. Conclusions: E-cigarettes were primarily used as an alternative to smoking and a substitute for nicotine. More dual users than ex-smokers used e-cigarettes in places where smoking is forbidden. Positive health changes were more pronounced in ex-smokers than dual users.