Vegetable Preferences Research Articles

Why We Should Look at Dinner Plates: Diet Changes in Cancer Patients

Malnutrition is often underestimated in the context of cancer therapy: the dietary trends initiated by patients after diagnosis are usually neither known to nor evaluated by the medical staff. Here, we propose a combined screening instrument evaluating malnutrition and dietary trends. The validated screening tool NRS-2002 was combined with a four-item questionnaire assessing whether (1) patients preferred certain foods, (2) avoided certain foods, (3) used dietary supplements or followed a special diet since the time of cancer diagnosis. The screening tool was routinely used by cancer patients in the daily practice of three oncological departments. The presented analysis was performed retrospectively and anonymized. Overall, 102 cancer patients undergoing systemic therapy (CP), 97 undergoing radiation therapy (RP), and 36 head-neck cancer patients (HNP) were screened. The CP cohort showed a higher rate of malnutrition (50.00%) than the HNP (28.13%) or RP (26.80%) cohort. Overall, diet changes were observed in 33.63% of all patients. Avoiding meat, stimulants, or hard and edgy food was often mentioned in free text answers, while patients reported a preference for fruit and vegetables. Nutritional supplements were used by 28.76% of the patients. While dietary changes were common, only 6.64% of the patients mentioned adhering to a specific cancer diet. Malnutrition is still underestimated nowadays. Diet trends, especially avoiding certain foods, are common in cancer patients, while adhering to a specific cancer diet is an exception. Diet trends should be assessed and addressed to avoid or aggravate malnutrition.

Fourth-Grade Cooking and Physical Activity Intervention Reveals Associations With Cooking Experience and Sex

ObjectiveExamine the impact of Fuel for Fun: Cooking with Kids Plus Parents and Play (FFF) on children's culinary self-efficacy, attitude, fruit and vegetable (FV) preferences, physical activity (PA), and body mass index. DesignRandomized controlled trial. SettingEight elementary schools in 2 Northern Colorado districts. ParticipantsFourth-grade students; 7-month interventions: school (S.FFF)—theory-based cooking + tasting lessons, active recess, lesson-driven cafeteria promotions; or school + family (S+F.FFF) with added family nights and home activities. Main Outcome Measure(s)Cooking self-efficacy and attitudes, FV preferences, PA, and measured height/weight. AnalysisIndividual outcomes nested by classroom, school, and district and assessed > 12 months with repeated measures controlled by sex and baseline cooking experience, with a significance level of P < 0.05. ResultsThe sample included 1,428 youth, 38 teachers, 4 cohorts, 50% boys, 75% White, and 15% Hispanic. No intervention effect was observed. Those who cooked retained higher self-efficacy, attitude, and FV preferences (P < 0.001). Girls reported higher self-efficacy and attitude than boys. Moderate-to-vigorous PA and metabolic equivalent minutes increased for all students; boys retained higher levels (P < 0.001). Body mass index percentile remained stable. Conclusions and ImplicationsCooking and sex were associated with all outcome measures and should be considered for intervention tailoring. Treatment impacts were not evident nesting by classroom, school, and district. Accurate assessment of school-based interventions requires rejecting student independence from group assignment assumptions.

China Requires a Sustainable Transition of Vegetable Supply from Area-Dependent to Yield-Dependent and Decreased Vegetable Loss and Waste.

China, the largest country in vegetable supply, faces a transition to sustainable vegetable production to counteract resource waste and environmental pollution. However, there are knowledge gaps on the main constraints and how to achieve sustainable vegetable supply. Herein, we integrated the vegetable production and supply data in China, compared its current status with five horticulture-developed countries US, the Netherlands, Greece, Japan and South Korea, using data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and National Bureau of Statistics of China, and predicted the vegetable supply in 2030 and 2050 by a model prediction. The vegetable supply in China increased from 592 g capita-1 d-1 in 1995 to 1262 g capita-1 d-1 in 2018 and will keep constant in 2030 and 2050. Compared to the five countries, the greater vegetable supply is primarily achieved by higher harvested areas rather than higher yield. However, it is predicted that the harvested areas will decrease by 13.6% and 24.7% in 2030 and 2050. Instead, steady increases in vegetable yield by 11.8% and 28.3% are predicted for this period. The high vegetable supply and greater vegetable preference indicated by the high vegetable-to-meat production ratio cannot guarantee recommended vegetable intake, potentially due to the high rate of vegetable loss and waste. Under the scenarios of decreased vegetable loss and waste, the harvested area will decrease by 37.3-67.2% in 2030 and 2050. This study points out that the sustainable transition of Chinese vegetable supply can be realized by enhancing yield and limiting vegetable loss and waste instead of expanding the harvested area.

Provision of renal-specific nutrition knowledge for changing dietary practice in Bangladeshi hemodialysis patients.

Studies show that provision of nutrition knowledge help renal patients make informed food choices. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of nutrition knowledge for changing dietary practice among Bangladeshi dialysis patients. Following development of a renal-specific nutrition booklet, a pilot study was conducted among 50 hemodialysis patients from a single dialysis setting. Demographic, anthropometric, clinical, biochemical, dietary data, and a 10-item MCQ on renal-specific nutrition information were collected before and 3 months after the provision of the booklet. 52% of the participants were male, 54% had twice weekly dialysis, age 53 ± 12 years, and dialysis vintage was 46 ± 25 months. Serum potassium and phosphorous, dietary potassium, phosphorous, and phosphorous to protein ratio were significantly reduced after the provision of the booklet. Additionally, patients consuming >3 meals/day increased to 66% while adherence to renal-specific cooking method and vegetable preference were significantly increased to 70% and 62%, respectively. Provision of knowledge via renal-specific nutrition booklet was able to improve patients' dietary practice and enhance their dietary adherence to renal specific recommendations. The booklet was developed using locally available food items in local language and was found beneficial in low-resource settings where overall health care facilities, including nutrition support are limited.

Attack behavior leading cannibalism in tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus) larvae under different tank colors and shelter type

Aggressivity expressed as cannibalism in fish larvae is a problem that limits the development of many species in aquaculture, therefore, understanding it and generating strategies to reduce its impact is important. This study described cannibalistic attacks behavior in Tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus) larvae. The larvae were exposed to different tank colors and shelters (rocks and plastic vegetation), in pairs (2 larvae) and in groups (10 larvae). In addition, attacks behavior, types of attacks, and morphometric aspects related to cannibalism were described. In pairs, attacks occurred in greater numbers with white background color (8.50 ± 0.70) and fewer for yellow and purple (0.66 ± 0.57, p < 0.05). The largest number of group attacks was observed with the background colors pink, blue and yellow, and purple to a lesser extent. The presence of shelters (artificial vegetation) decreased the attacks in pairs and in groups compared to the use of rocks as refuge. A. tropicus larvae show a clear preference for artificial vegetation. It was found that morphologically, both juveniles and larvae (10 Days after hatching (DAH)) can consume prey greater than their own body depth (1.59 ± 0.22, 1.00 ± 0.12) and body width (1.74 ± 0.29, 0.94 ± 0.12). The mouth depth angle was significantly higher in larvae (10 DAH) (85.63 ± 6.41°), which decreases as age increases. A total of 452 events were recorded, four behaviors were described: interaction (214 events, 47 attacks, effectiveness of the attack (EA) 21.96%), chasing (127 events, 44 attacks, EA 34.64%), escape (62 events), and fast swimming (47 events). Three types of attacks were recorded: frontal (41.24%), lateral (29.94%), and posterior (28.81%), with three attack regions: head (31.64%), body (10.72%), and tail (57.63%). The most frequent attack was posterior tail with 70 events (39.55%). Attacker presented a S-like curvature prior to the attack (30.50%). Differences were determined in the percentage of weight (g) and total length (cm) between the attacker larvae and the attacked larvae 16.39 ± 10.86% and 15.23 ± 5.68%, respectively. In conclusion, A. tropicus larvae show cannibalism Type I, II, and two variants of Type III. It is suggested that this species is a more efficient cannibal than an interspecific predator. The relation of the greater number of attacks in the white color tanks could be related to the contrast with the bottom, thus, there is a less preference for this color. This information is essential to carry out a more efficient sorting of the larvae during their culture and reduce cannibalism in the larval stage in A. tropicus. The results of this study could be useful to understand this behavior in other species.

Differential effects of vegetation and climate on termite diversity and damage

Abstract Species diversity shapes ecosystem services. Despite the advantages that this relationship has for pest management, few studies have investigated the links between infrastructure damage (i.e. the percentage amount of infrastructures infested by termites), species richness and the environment. Moreover, it is not clear that which proportion of species richness (total/functional‐dominant/common/rare) contributes most to infrastructure damage. We correlated termite species richness with termite infestation throughout 83 cities in Zhejiang Province, eastern China. Species were classified according to whether or not they fed on wood, and based upon their distributional range, whether they were common or rare. We analysed the relative importance and the direct/indirect effects of climate, vegetation, anthropogenic activities, and the species richness of four functional categories of termites on the damage levels of eight infrastructure types in populated (i.e. urban and rural building, green space and sea wall) and remote areas (i.e. ancient building, large‐old tree, agroforest and reservoir dam). Common species favoured populated areas, whereas rare species favoured remote areas. Common species, with preferences for deciduous vegetation, caused more damage to the infrastructures of populated areas. Rare species, with preferences for evergreen vegetation, caused more damage in remote areas. Reforestation project which emphasized evergreen trees increased the number of rare species but reduced the number of common species. Elevation and drought risk were positively correlated with rare species richness but neutrally with common species richness. Structural equation models showed that vegetation predominantly influenced infrastructure damage in populated areas via altering common species richness, whereas climate predominantly and directly influenced infrastructure damage in remote areas. Notably, elevation and drought risk were positively correlated with infrastructure damage especially in remote areas. Synthesis and applications. Termites cause global economic losses of 15–40 billion dollars per year. Our study reveals that managing city forests and green space, for example increasing the proportion of evergreen trees, is a sustainable means of suppressing common termites and thereby reducing infrastructure damage in populated areas. Conservation strategies, supported by regular inspections, will become increasingly important as climate change not only threatens the survival of less harmful rare species, but also increases infrastructure damage in remote areas.

Trading off environmental attributes in food consumption choices

In light of a European harmonized Front-of-Package (FOP) labelling system, an integrated “Eco-score” should overcome the multitude of sustainability labels on food. However, several established sustainability-related food attributes, like organic standards or the product’s origin, are typically also considered pro-environmental attributes by consumers. This coexistence might require trade-offs with the new Eco-score during food choices. Further, the need to activate pro-environmental goals amongst consumers while making food choices has increasingly been expressed, as an improvement or addition to merely awareness-increasing approaches. This study evaluated Belgian consumers’ (N = 300) preferences for available vegetable supplies through a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with attributes on seasonality, localness, organic label, Eco-score and a monthly price. Furthermore, using a 2 × 2 between-subject split, various ways of priming pro-environmental goals through sustainable self-views have been evaluated. Overall, Eco-scores were found equally important as price and localness, while organic was found least important. In addition, in situations of conflicting Eco-scores and origins (i.e. local with poor Eco-scores and vice versa), more importance was attached to the most beneficial attribute. Furthermore, strong aversions towards longer term commitments to seasonal vegetable consumption were observed. Lastly, making people think of themselves as sustainable yet too confidently, might backfire. With more uncertainty, sustainable self-views might induce more positive preferences for seasonal vegetables and better Eco-Scores. The challenges and opportunities revealed by these insights should guide future policymaking for a more effective labelling system.

Prediction of sleep quality among university students after analyzing lifestyles, sports habits, and mental health.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a prediction model to evaluate the risk of poor sleep quality. We performed a cross-sectional study and enrolled 1,928 college students from five universities between September and November 2021. The quality of sleep was evaluated using the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Participants were divided into a training (n = 1,555) group and a validation (n = 373) group. The training group was used to establish the model, and the validation group was used to validate the predictive effectiveness of the model. The risk classification of all participants was performed based on the optimal threshold of the model. Of all enrolled participants, 45.07% (869/1,928) had poor sleep quality (PSQI score ≧ 6 points). Multivariate analysis showed that factors such as older age, a higher grade, previous smoking, drinking, midday rest, chronic disease, anxiety, and stress were significantly associated with a higher rate of poor sleep quality, while preference for vegetables was significantly associated with better sleep quality, and all these variables were included to develop the prediction model. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.765 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.742–0.789] in the training group and 0.715 (95% CI: 0.664–0.766) in the validation group. Corresponding discrimination slopes were 0.207 and 0.167, respectively, and Brier scores were 0.195 and 0.221, respectively. Calibration curves showed favorable matched consistency between the predicted and actual probability of poor sleep quality in both groups. Based on the optimal threshold, the actual probability of poor sleep quality was 29.03% (317/1,092) in the low-risk group and 66.03% (552/836) in the high-risk group (P < 0.001). A nomogram was presented to calculate the probability of poor sleep quality to promote the applicationof the model. The prediction model can be a helpful tool to stratify sleep quality, especially among university students. Some intervention measures or preventive strategies to quit smoking and drinking, eat more vegetables, avoid midday rest, treat chronic disease, and alleviate anxiety and stress may be considerably beneficial in improving sleep quality.

Examining Consumer Preferences and Willingness to Pay for Organic Vegetable Attributes: Using a Discrete Choice Experiment

This research aims to identify consumer attitudes toward organic green vegetables by estimating the degree of Willingness To Pay (WTP) for various attributes to evaluate the position of these organic vegetables and determine preferences for organic green vegetables based on income. This study used an online survey with 191 respondents on Java Island. The Discrete Choice Experiment was used to investigate product selection, WTP, and the relationship between the four characteristics of vegetables and income. The findings showed that consumers prefer organic and pesticide-free vegetables that are good for health, have low chemical emissions and a lower environmental impact, and are less expensive than non-organic vegetables. This is a challenge for producers and marketers to develop responsible input management strategies to produce high-quality vegetables at a low cost and with minimal environmental impact.

Health-Related Lifestyle Among College-Going Youth in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

IntroductionYouth is a period where a number of healthy and unhealthy habits get acquired that last throughout a person's life. Youth health promotion has become a key study focus around the world. Thus this study is undertaken to understand health-related lifestyles affecting college-going youth.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was done in the junior colleges in Bhubaneswar, India, which included college-going youth. The sample size was 636. The sampling technique was a two-stage stratified sampling method. Firstly, one college was selected from each of five administrative regions (east, west, north, south, and central zone) in Bhubaneswar randomly by lottery method to provide a representative sample. From each college, 128 students were selected randomly from the list of students.ResultsIn this study, 237 (37.3%) of the participants ate green leafy vegetables on a daily basis, with 39.3% of females and just 31.2% of males. This difference in preference of green leafy vegetables among males and females was found to be statistically significant with a p-value of 0.019. Out of 180 (28.3%) of the participants who consumed milk products daily, 25% were females, while 38.1% were males (p-value of 0.004). In the present study, out of 247 (38.8%) participants who preferred eating fast food, 37.6% were females, while 42.5% were males. Out of 213 (33.5%) of them who preferred sweets (candy/chocolate), 37.2% were females, while only 22.5% were males. This difference in gender in regards to junk food preference was found to be statistically significant with a p-value of 0.001. In the current study, out of 243 (42%) of the participants who spent 30 minutes to one hour on exercise per day, 43.4% were females, while 37.4% were males. Out of 133 (23%) of them who spent one to two hours on exercise per day, 23.6% were females, while only 20.9% were males (p-value of 0.003). Out of 208 (35.9%) of the participants who preferred walking as the main mode of exercise, 40.2% were females, while 22.3% were males (p-value <0.0001).ConclusionThe main findings of this study demonstrated that the majority of the youth followed proper meal routines and engaged in regular physical exercise. However, when compared to junk food consumption, participants consumed far fewer green leafy vegetables. This would prove to be harmful to their health. Since the youth of today are the future of tomorrow, they should be provided with proper health education regarding the harmful effects of regular intake of junk food.

"I Think That's the Most Beneficial Change That WIC Has Made in a Really Long Time": Perceptions and Awareness of an Increase in the WIC Cash Value Benefit.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Cash Value Benefit (CVB) for fruits and vegetables increased by roughly USD 25/month/person. We sought to understand WIC participant perceptions of this change and barriers and facilitators to using the CVB. We conducted 10 virtual focus groups (5 rural, 5 urban/suburban) with WIC participants (n = 55) in North Carolina in March 2022. Focus groups were recorded and transcribed. We open-coded the content and used thematic analysis to uncover consistencies within and between sampled groups. Participants expressed favorable perceptions of the CVB increase and stated the pre-pandemic CVB amount was insufficient. Barriers to using the increased CVB were identifying WIC-approved fruits and vegetables in stores and insufficient supply of fruits and vegetables. Barriers were more pronounced in rural groups. Facilitators of CVB use were existing household preferences for fruits and vegetables and the variety of products that can be purchased with CVB relative to other components of the WIC food package. Participants felt the CVB increase allowed their families to eat a wider variety of fruits and vegetables. The CVB increase may improve fruit and vegetable intake, particularly if made permanent, but barriers to CVB and WIC benefit use may limit the potential impact.

Starting complementary feeding with vegetables only increases vegetable acceptance at 9 months: a randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACTBackgroundStarting complementary feeding (CF) with vegetables only may improve vegetable acceptance throughout childhood.ObjectivesWe aimed to test whether exposure to vegetables only during the first 4 wk of CF increases later vegetable acceptance compared with a control group receiving fruit and vegetables.MethodsIn this randomized, controlled, parallel-group study, 117 Auckland infants received either vegetables only (veg-only, n = 61) or a combination of fruit and vegetables (control, n = 56) for a duration of 4 wk, starting from the first day of CF at ∼4–6 mo of age. The primary outcome measure was intake of target vegetables (broccoli, spinach) provided by the study at 9 mo of age. Daily intake of vegetables (FFQs) at 9 mo was a supporting measure. Infants’ iron status (serum ferritin, hemoglobin) was examined at all time points.ResultsThe veg-only infants consumed more broccoli and spinach than controls [mean difference (95% CI): 11.83 (0.82, 22.84) g, P = 0.036 and 10.19 (0.50, 19.87) g, P = 0.039, respectively]. Intake of pear was comparable among intervention groups (P = 0.35). At 9 mo, veg-only infants consumed target vegetables at a faster rate [mean difference (95% CI): broccoli, 3.37 (1.26, 5.47), P = 0.002; spinach, 4.12 (0.80, 7.45), P = 0.016] and showed greater acceptance for target vegetables [mean difference (95% CI): broccoli, 0.38 (0.07, 0.70), P = 0.019; spinach, 032 (0.04, 0.60), P = 0.024] than controls. The rate of eating and acceptance of pear was comparable among intervention groups (P = 0.42 and P = 0.98, respectively). Also, veg-only infants consumed more vegetables than controls [86.3 (52.5, 146.3) compared with 67.5 (37.5, 101.3) g, respectively, P = 0.042]. Introducing vegetables as the first food was not associated with 9-mo iron status.ConclusionsProviding vegetables as first foods increased vegetable intake at 9 mo of age and may be an effective strategy for improving child vegetable consumption and developing preferences for vegetables in infancy.

Factors Affecting Green Food Purchase Intention in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This study was carried out with four basic objectives: Identification of factors influencing consumer's preference for safe vegetables; Measuring the impact of different factors on the consumer's intention to choose safe vegetables; Comparison of the impact of factors on consumers' buying intentions of safe vegetables in Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai and Give some suggestions and administrative implications. Through a two-stage preliminary study and formal research with sample data, 414 samples were collected from consumers who used safe vegetables in Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai for 3 years or more. The author used SPSS20 to test the scale using the Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), AMOS20 software for CFA, Linear Structural Analysis (SEM), Bootstrap Test, and Multivariate Analysis. Based on the results of the analysis, there are five factors that affect the consumer's buying intention in the selection of safe vegetables. They are: subjective norm, health consciousness, the masses media, concern over food safety, and trust in labeling. Among these five factors, the strongest influence is the masses media (Sig = 0.000, β = 0.317), second is health consciousness (Sig = 0.000, β = 0.279). At the same time, the impact of factors on the intention of buying vegetables safely between consumers in Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City is different. In Dong Nai, the factor of concern about food safety has no effect on intention. In Ho Chi Minh City, the factor of trust in labeling has no effect on the intention to buy safe vegetables. In addition, the multi-group analysis showed no difference in intention to purchase safe vegetables among gender groups, age, and income.

Elevational shifts in foliar-soil δ15 N in the Hengduan Mountains and different potential mechanisms.

The natural abundance of stable nitrogen isotopes (δ15 N) provides insights into the N dynamics of terrestrial ecosystems, the determination of which is considered an effective approach for gaining a better understanding ecosystem N cycling. However, there is currently little information available regarding the patterns and mechanisms underlying the variation in foliar-soil δ15 N among mountain ecosystems. In this study, we examined the determinants of foliar-soil δ15 N in association with N transportation rates along an elevational gradient in the Hengduan Mountains. Despite the relatively high levels of available N produced from high N fixation and mineralization, we detected the lowest levels of foliar δ15 N at 3500 m a.s.l., reflecting the stronger vegetation N limitation at medium high elevations. The enhanced vegetation N limitation was driven by the combined effects of higher microbial immobilization and inherent plant dynamic (the shifts of δ15 N in vegetation preference, including vegetation community) with changing climate along the elevational gradient. Unexpectedly, we established that soil δ15 N was characterized by an undulating rise and uncoupled correlation with foliar δ15 N with increasing elevation, thereby indicating that litter input might not be a prominent driver of soil δ15 N. Conversely, soil nitrification and denitrification were found to make a more pronounced contribution to the pattern of soil δ15 N along the elevational gradient. Collectively, our results serve to highlight the importance of microbial immobilization in soil N dynamics and provide novel insights that will contribute to enhancing our understanding of N cycling as indicated by foliar-soil δ15 N along elevational gradients.

Indoor nature integration for stress recovery and healthy eating: A picture experiment with plants versus green color

AimUrbanized environments may stimulate unhealthy food choices and stress. Several theories explain that exposure to green nature can counter these stress effects. Since we spend most time indoors, integrating nature in the interior could be a promising health promotion tool. Hence, we tested whether the beneficial effect of nature for stress recovery is also present in indoor settings via the use of plants or green colors, and whether it is applicable on eating behavior as a new outcome. MethodsThe 92 participants (18-30y, 16% men) were divided into four groups. Each viewed a 6-min slideshow with room pictures containing either green plants, green objects, greyscale plants or greyscale objects to allow distinction between color- and plant-effects. Group differences were tested for the perceived restorativeness scale, psychological recovery and eating behavior. To allow psychological recovery testing, participants were exposed to a stressor before the picture slideshow via the Trier Social Stress Test. The change of self-reports (stress, positive and negative affect) and psychophysiology (heart rate and vagal-induced heart rate variability RMSSD) post-slideshow versus pre-slideshow was checked. Eating behavior outcomes included change in hunger, craving, and food choice (for fruits, vegetables and snacks). ResultsFrom the four picture sets, the green plants pictures were reported as most mentally restorative and appeared most beneficial for post-stressor recovery of positive affect, but not for negative affect or stress recovery. The green plants group also had higher preference for vegetables and lower preference or craving for (unhealthy) snacks. Those significant group differences were mainly due to the presence of plants and only occasionally due to the green color. ConclusionIndoor green plant pictures were associated with higher mental restorativeness and healthier food choices. Integrating plants in the interior seems to be a relevant health promotion approach, while applying green colors seems less relevant.

The Impact of an After-School Garden Enhanced Education (GENE) on Skin Carotenoids as a Measure of Vegetable Consumption on Diverse, Low-Income Children

ObjectivesSchool gardens can have a positive impact on children’s preference and intake of vegetables using a multi-component gardening curriculum. Reflection spectroscopy (RS) is a noninvasive method of measuring skin carotenoid levels which correlates with fruit and vegetable intake. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston (BGCGH) provide after-school and summer programs for diverse, low-income youth. The purpose of this study was to determine if a new nutrition garden program increased skin carotenoid scores of BGCGH children as a measure of vegetable consumption. MethodsChildren age 6–13 years participated in a ten-week Garden Enhanced Nutrition Education (GENE) Program adapted from the Texas AgriLife program “Learn, Grow, Eat and Go!”. The GENE curriculum was delivered by a Texas Woman’s University (TWU) graduate student. During the fall of 2021, children at two after-school BGCGH clubs participated in the GENE study. The program consisted of hands-on gardening, nutrition instruction, and sampling of vegetables. Measurement of skin carotenoid scores using the Veggie Meter ® served as a marker of vegetable consumption. Skin melanin index was measured utilizing a Konica Minolta 600D spectrophotometer. Outcomes included changes in body height and weight. Wilcoxon signed rank tests compared pre and post GENE Program intervention. ResultsA total of 30 club members participated in the study. Children self-identified themselves as either Black (54%), Hispanic or Latino (24%), White (20%), or Multiracial (2%). Sex was distributed as 76% female and 24% male. Body mass index averaged 23.2 ± 5.6 at baseline. Height and weight of children increased significantly over the ten-week study. Individual skin carotenoid scores of several children in the treatment group (43%) increased. Group skin carotenoids score averages followed an upward trend (174 ± 55 pre to 192 ± 67 post), but changes were not significant. Melanin index was not correlated with skin carotenoid scores. A total of 49.7 pounds of produce were harvested at the BGCGH clubs over the ten-week study. ConclusionsSkin carotenoid scores of ethnically diverse, low-income children increased when children participated in a ten-week garden nutrition program, though statistical significance was not shown. Funding SourcesMoore-Khourie Grant.

Socio-Demographic Factors and Food Preferences of International Students in Universiti Putra Malaysia

ObjectivesWhile the number of international students has been increasing in Malaysia, understanding their needs and emphasizing their food-related- issues became more significant. This study aimed to determine the relationship, differences and contributions between socio-demographic factors and food preferences of international students in Universiti Putra Malaysia. MethodsAbout 619 respondents participated this cross-sectional study. International students were recruited through their email addresses. Firstly, participants were asked about their socio-demographic factors. Then, their food preferences were assessed with food preference questionnaire. About 77 food items were selected to fall into six food group categories; animal (14), starch (12), dairy (eight), fruit (15), snack (eight), and vegetable (20). Participants were asked to rate 77 food items on a Likert scale, ranging from dislike a lot (1 point) to like a lot (5 points). Pearson’s and Spearman correlation, Independent t-test, Kruskal Wallis and multiple linear regression were conducted. ResultsThe participants were mainly between 18 to 25 years old (37.2%) and single (67%). The majority was males (60.7%). More than half (57%) of the respondents had monthly income equal to or less than RM 2000 (478 USD). As for education level; 38% of the respondents were doing PhD while 33.6% were undergraduate students. About 37.2% were Middle Eastern followed by Asians (33.8%). Age was found to be significantly correlated with animal (r = –0.105, p = 0.010), starch (r = –0.115, p = 0.005) and snack-related (r = –0.155, p < 0.001) food groups. Likewise, education level was found to be negatively correlated with food preferences including animal (r = –0.142, p < 0.001), starch-related foods (r = –0.125, p = 0.002) and vegetable (r = –0.140, p = 0.001). There was a significant difference between males and females (t = –3.742, p < 0.001) in terms of vegetable preferences. Gender, education level, household composition and age were significant contributors to food preferences. Fruits (apples and grapes) were the most liked food group among all six food categories. On the other hand, dairy foods were the least preferred one. ConclusionsAge, gender and education level were important demographic factors towards food preferences among international students in Universiti Putra Malaysia. Funding SourcesNone.

Segmentation of Consumer Preferences for Vegetables Produced in Areas Depressed by Drought

The megadrought in Chile’s north and central zones has impacted the horticultural production of family farming. One way to mitigate these effects is by adding value to vegetables. However, no studies show the main attributes consumers value of vegetables produced in the megadrought zone. The study’s objective was to evaluate consumer preferences and identify segments based on the extrinsic attributes of vegetables grown in areas depressed by drought. We surveyed 946 vegetable buyers from the Antofagasta, Valparaiso, and Maule regions. Through the conjoint analysis technique, we identified that the main attributes preferred by consumers were presentation (45.3%) and type of vegetables (21.8%), followed by labeling (15.9%), producers (10.3%), and origin (6.7%). The cluster analysis revealed the existence of three segments. The largest segment is motivated by the way vegetables are presented (49.7%), followed by a second segment that values multi-attributes (31.9%) and a smaller segment that is interested in labeling (18.4%). These findings can help position these products in the market and raise awareness of family farming and the economic and production problems that they currently face.

Strengthening Vegetable Production and Consumption in a Kenyan Informal Settlement: A Feasibility and Preliminary Impact Assessment of a Sack Garden Intervention

BackgroundOver 85% of Kibera’s population, an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, is food insecure. Nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions, such as sack gardens, have the potential to diversify diets—in turn, improving household food security and diet quality. Furthermore, the sale of extra vegetables may provide an income for program participants. ObjectivesThe aim of this paper was to conduct a feasibility assessment and preliminary impact assessment of a nutrition-sensitive urban agriculture intervention that used sack gardens for women in Kibera. MethodsWomen, from a women’s empowerment program, in Kibera (n = 36; n = 21 full program participants, n = 11 withdrawn, n = 4 new members) were engaged in a sack garden intervention in June 2018. A mixed-method approach was used to assess the feasibility and preliminary impact of the program. Qualitative semi-structured interviews (n = 25; n = 18 full program participants, n = 5 withdrawn, n = 2 new members), administered at the end of the pilot phase (March 2019), identified barriers and facilitators (e.g., preferences, inputs, group dynamics) to the production, consumption, and sale of self-produced vegetables. Quantitative surveys (n = 21 full program participants), administered in June 2018 and March 2019, were conducted to evaluate preliminary intervention impact on food security and diet quality through analysis of the Household Hunger Scale (HHS) and Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W). ResultsKey barriers included insufficient inputs and group work difficulties, particularly around communication. Facilitators included positive intervention feedback, social bonds and teamwork, participants’ self-sufficiency, and preference for sack garden vegetables over market vegetables. Post-intervention, participants reported reduced household food insecurity. Recommendations for program scale-up include investment in additional inputs, a water-collection/irrigation system, additional training, and placing sack gardens closer to women’s homes to reduce time constraints. ConclusionsThis study suggests that sack gardens may provide partial solutions to improve diet quality; however, further research is needed to assess any impact on household income.

Temperature preferences drive additive biotic homogenization of Orthoptera assemblages.

The degradation of natural habitats is causing ongoing homogenization of biological communities and declines in terrestrial insect biodiversity, particularly in agricultural landscapes. Orthoptera are focal species of nature conservation and experienced significant diversity losses over the past decades. However, the causes underlying these changes are not yet fully understood. We analysed changes in Orthoptera assemblages surveyed in 1988, 2004 and 2019 on 198 plots distributed across four major grassland types in Central Europe. We demonstrated compositional differences in Orthoptera assemblages found in wet, dry and mesic grasslands, as well as ruderal habitats decreased, indicating biotic homogenization. However, mean α-diversity of Orthoptera assemblages increased over the study period. We detected increasing numbers of species with preferences for higher temperatures in mesic and wet grasslands. By analysing the temperature, moisture and vegetation preferences of Orthoptera, we found that additive homogenization was driven by a loss of species adapted to extremely dry and nitrogen-poor habitats and a parallel spread of species preferring warmer macroclimates.