Poor Nutrient Intake Research Articles

Nutrition and health risks in the elderly: the nutrition screening initiative.

The Nutrition Screening Initiative is a national collaborative effort committed to the identification and treatment of nutritional problems in older persons. A 14-item checklist of characteristics associated with nutritional status was administered to a random sample of Medicare beneficiaries, aged 70 years and older, in New England. Regression analysis was used to derive item weights that would predict poor nutrient intakes and low perceived health status. Sensitivity and specificity values were reviewed to define low, moderate, and high nutritional risk scores. A revised checklist containing 10 yes/no items was adopted. Scores of 6 or more points defined persons at high nutritional risk. Twenty-four percent of the Medicare population was estimated to be at high nutritional risk according to the checklist. Among those in the high-risk group, 56% perceived their health to be "fair" or "poor" and 38% had dietary intakes below 75% of the recommended dietary allowances for three or more nutrients. The Nutrition Screening Initiative Checklist is a brief, easily scored instrument that can accurately identify noninstitutionalized older persons at risk for low nutrient intake and health problems.

EFFECTS OF PROLONGED IGF-I TREATMENT IN CHILDREN WITH GROWTH HORMONE INSENSITIVITY SYNDROME (GHIS)

We administered recombinant IGF-I to 8 children with GHIS, due either to GH receptor deficiency (Laron syndrome, n=5) or growth-attenuating antibodies to GH (3 pts. with GH gene deletion). Their ages range from 3 to 11 years and they have been treated for 3 to 18 months (fig.). The dose of IGF-I (Genentech, Inc.) ranged between 80 and 120 mcg/kg. sc, twice daily. Two hours post-injection the patients consumed a snack or meal. Height velocity improved significantly in all but one patient (*). He had poor growth (2.6cm/yr) during the first 3 months, when he had intercurrent illnesses and poor nutrient intake. His growth velocity increased to 10.2cm/yr (error bar) during the second three months of treatment. Hypoglycemia has occured infrequently and only in the two youngest patients early in treatment. No adverse changes in biochemical profile have been observed. Increased height velocity has been accompanied by increased caloric intake and weight gain, a reduction in subcutaneous adipose tissue and catch-up growth of kidneys and spleen (by ultrasound), These data show that IGF-I stimulates linear growth by endocrine mechanisms and suggest: that chronic treatment with IGF-I Is likely to be a successful form of therapy for patients with GHIS.

Nutrient intake and growth in preschool children. II. Intake of minerals and vitamins

Between May 1988 and April 1990, the nutrient intake of 153 pre‐school children from Edinburgh aged 2–5 years was assessed using the 7‐d weighed inventory method. Fifty‐four children were studied twice at an interval of 12 months. Results for the intake of minerals and vitamins are presented, by age and gender, and related to Dietary Reference Values (DoH, 1991).The mineral and vitamin intake of pre‐school children varied considerably. A minority of children were found to have very low intakes of iron, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin C relative to dietary reference values, and all children had low dietary intakes of vitamin D. Intake of these nutrients was not related to rate of growth. However, strong positive relationships were found for intake of nutrients during the initial and repeat surveys of children studied twice, suggesting that poor nutrient intakes persist.

Skeletal muscle amino acid and myofibrillar protein mRNA response to thermal injury and infection.

This study investigates alterations in rat skeletal muscle after burn trauma (30% body surface area, full-thickness scald injury) with or without concomitant burn wound infection (immediate postburn inoculation with Pseudomonas aeruginosa), an injury model previously described by the authors.1 The study design allowed evaluation of sequential changes in skeletal muscle membrane integrity after burn or burn-infection injury and whether these occur coordinately with changes in muscle protein mass, specific protein transcription, intracellular amino acid and electrolyte concentrations, and indices of cellular energy status. Four groups of rats were compared: animals subjected to burn injury alone (Burn), burn injury plus wound infection (BI), freely fed, unburned control animals (FF), and unburned animals pair-fed to BI (PF: to control for anorexia in the BI group). Skeletal muscle myofibrillar protein transcription (relative abundance of messenger RNA for actin and myosin heavy chain); indices of muscle mas...

Body composition changes in the subtotally nephrectomized rat fed differing dietary proteins.

Changes in body composition are found in chronic uraemia, but it is unclear if this results from poor nutrient intake or is a consequence of impaired renal function. To investigate this question, 31 female Wistar rats were allocated to undergo subtotal nephrectomy or sham operation and were fed diets of either 24% casein or 24% soya protein. Three months later measurements of inulin clearance were undertaken in the conscious animal and the carcass subsequently analyzed for body water and body fat. Subtotally nephrectomized animals had a significantly greater proportion of body water (p less than 0.001) and a lesser proportion of body fat (p less than 0.001) than control animals, and a significant correlation was found between glomerular filtration rate and body fat content (24% casein diet: r = 0.96; 24% soya diet: r = 0.71). The dietary protein source appeared not to influence the body composition. These results support the concept that altered body composition in uraemia is due to renal dysfunction rather than altered nutrient intake.

Four-year study of university athletes’ dietary intake

Baseline dietary intake data were collected for four years on 10 men's and 6 women's university athletic teams. Caloric intake means for specific teams were higher than those stated in nutrition textbooks (5,270 kcal for football, with a 14,000 kcal per day maximum). Athletes' caloric intakes cannot be grouped, as some athletes (wrestlers and gymnasts) have low intakes (400 kcal per day). Protein intake of all athletes except wrestlers and gymnasts is high (in many cases more than twice any recommendation). The diets of teams with high caloric intakes had a high (more than 50%) fat content. The fat content of the diets of other athletes ranged from 30% to 40%. The wrestling team had more members with poor nutrient intake (less than two-thirds of recommendations) than any other team. Poor vitamin A intakes were noted for all athletic teams studied. Low potassium intakes also were common. Members of women's teams had low iron intakes even though their protein and caloric intakes were high.

Abnormal amino acid and protein metabolism in uremia

The many alterations in amino acid and protein metabolism in renal failure are often poorly defined, and the available data concerning them are usually descriptive. Nonetheless, certain factors play an important role in the altered amino acid and protein metabolism of uremia. These include malnutrition caused by poor nutrient intake, loss of nutrients during dialysis, and abnormal metabolism of nutrients. Other factors include uremic toxins, superimposed catabolic illnesses, endocrine disorders, and the reduced capacity of the failing kidney to synthesize or degrade certain hormones, amino acids, peptides, and small proteins. These aberrations have complex interrelationships which sometimes potentiate each other. It is possible that the administration of sufficient quantities of energy, vitamins, and minerals, as well as the dietary manipulation of protein, amino acid and ketoacid intake may improve the metabolism of amino acids and proteins. Vitamin B6 and zinc have special requirements that may affect protein or amino acid metabolism.

Nutrient intake and food patterns of Indians on Standing Rock Reservation1

Reservation Indians today are among the disadvantaged in the U.S. Their poverty is reflected in the poor nutrient intakes and food habits of the women reported in this study.

The exercise profile.

ABSTRACT: Dietary intake and physical activity were assessed in approximately 700 members of the health professions. It was found that although the diets of both exercisers and nonexercisers contained about the same number of calories, there was a great difference in the proportions of nutrients involved in these calories. For the exercisers, the intake of every vitamin, mineral and amino acid studied exceeded that for the nonexercisers, and many of the differences were statistically significant. Since these nutrients are classified as resistance agents because they decrease the likelihood of disease, the dietary pattern adopted by these exercisers should be encouraged. The nonexercisers consumed more refined carbohydrates than did the exercisers; the difference was highly significant statistically. Since refined carbohydrates are classified as susceptibility agents because they enhance the possibility of disease, the dietary pattern adopted by these nonexercisers is to be avoided.Diet and exercise, either independently or together, affect emotional health. A poor nutrient intake and lack of exercise are susceptibility factors which diminish mental health, whereas a good nutrient intake and exercise are resistance factors which promote mental health.

Interrelationships between Selected Nutritional, Clinical, and Sociological Measurements of Preadolescent Children from Independent Low Income Families

Differences in degree of agreement between parents on child-rearing beliefs, total social adjustment of the child, nutrient intake, physical activity, skinfold thickness (triceps site), and serum cholesterol levels between underweight, average weight, and overweight males and females, 6-12 years of age, were examined. Under- and overweight groups had relatively lower total social adjustment, greater disagreement between parents on child-rearing beliefs, and poorer nutrient intake than the average weight group. The activity of the underweight group was greater than for either the average or overweight groups with the least activity for the overweight group. The skinfold (triceps site) was thicker for the overweight group than for the underweight. The groups were not different in serum cholesterol levels. With the exception of dietary nutrients versus activity, associations were significant among these factors: total social adjustment, degree of agreement between parents on child-rearing beliefs, dietary nutrients, and activity.