Promotion Of Healthy Nutrition Research Articles

Assessing through a longitudinal study of dietary habits among Romanian school children: effects of COVID-19 pandemic as well as of a school based educational program for promotion of healthy nutrition.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has forced implementation of safety measures, leading to changes in people's lives. This study investigated several dietary habits among Romanian children before and during the pandemic. Also, it assessed the effectiveness of an educational program promoting healthy diet and evaluated factors influencing certain eating habits. A longitudinal study was conducted in schools. Students were assigned to Control and Intervention groups. Data were collected at baseline (T1) (October -November 2019, 880 children) and post-intervention (T2) (December 2020-February 2021, 484 students). 350 children participated in both assessments. Baseline measurements revealed inadequate consumptions of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and increased intake of soft drinks and sweets. At follow-up, the Intervention showed significant improvements on average intake of fruits and vegetables and in children eating ≥ 5 servings/day, compared to its baseline. Regarding self-perceptions on dietary habits during confinement, children from both groups reported healthier behaviors, with a significant decrease of comfort food. Compared to the Control group, Intervention increased its average intake of fruits and vegetables, consumed more ≥ 5 portions/day, reduced the number ≥ 2 cups/day of carbonated beverages and ≥ 3 portions/day of sweets. Age, gender, weight management, body mass index were associated with dietary habits at T1. Age, gender, Intervention group, weight management influenced eating patterns at T2. Eating behaviors at T1 influenced dietary habits at T2. Our program demonstrated positive changes in students' dietary habits, despite challenges of COVID-19. Results highlight the role of health education and emphasize the importance of integrating such programs consistently in schools.

Factors influencing maternal control in child feeding in Hungary

Abstract Background Globally, more than 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016. Obesity in children and poor dietary habits in adulthood are associated with parental feeding practices. This study aimed to characterize the sociodemographic status, lifestyle, and health related factors of mothers associated with child feeding control practices. Methods A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was carried out in Hungary among 8-13-year-old students and their parents (N = 454). In this analysis only mothers of normal/overweight/obese children were analysed (n = 338). Questions included mothers’ characteristics and their practices in child feeding measured by the Hungarian version of the Child Feeding Questionnaire. It has two main categories: “risk factors and concerns” and “control in child feeding”; we analysed the last one with its three domains (restriction, pressure to eat and monitoring). Factors influencing mothers’ feeding control were analysed by multivariate logistic regression models. Results According to our classification 86.9% of mothers were “monitoring”, 20.0% “pressure to eat”, and 26.9% “restrictive”. Neither of the variables was explored in the regression model of “restrictive” mothers. Mothers of overweight children (79%) and of obese children (89%) were less likely to be “pressure to eat” mothers (p = 0.007, p = 0.036). Women with high education were 2.19 times more likely to be “monitoring” mothers (p = 0.047) than lower educated. Mothers who had hopeless feelings were 94% less likely to be “monitoring” (p = 0.016). Overweight children's mothers were 4.12 times likely to be “monitoring” mothers (p = 0.040) than mothers of normal weighted children. Conclusions In our analysis predicting factors of child feeding were educational level and mental health of mothers and nutritional status of children. Improved education, self-efficacy and mental status are important public health issues from the point of the promotion of healthy nutrition. Key messages • Parents, especially mothers can significantly influence children’s eating experiences, so the evaluation of mothers’ feeding control may be used in the formulation of obesity prevention in children. • The mothers’ feeding strategy and their ideas about child feeding are determined by many factors which can be modified by the promotion of their education and health way of life.

Evaluation of community-based health promotion interventions in children and adolescents in high-income countries: a scoping review on strategies and methods used

BackgroundIn recent decades, community-based interventions have been increasingly adopted in the field of health promotion and prevention. While their evaluation is relevant for health researchers, stakeholders and practitioners, conducting these evaluations is also challenging and there are no existing standards yet. The objective of this review is to scope peer-reviewed scientific publications on evaluation approaches used for community-based health promotion interventions. A special focus lies on children and adolescents’ prevention.MethodsA scoping review of the scientific literature was conducted by searching three bibliographic databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO). The search strategy encompassed search terms based on the PCC (Population, Concept, Context) scheme. Out of 6,402 identified hits, 44 articles were included in this review.ResultsOut of the 44 articles eligible for this scoping review, the majority reported on studies conducted in the USA (n = 28), the UK (n = 6), Canada (n = 4) and Australia (n = 2). One study each was reported from Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Scotland, respectively. The included studies described interventions that mostly focused on obesity prevention, healthy nutrition promotion or well-being of children and adolescents. Nineteen articles included more than one evaluation design (e.g., process or outcome evaluation). Therefore, in total we identified 65 study designs within the scope of this review. Outcome evaluations often included randomized controlled trials (RCTs; 34.2%) or specific forms of RCTs (cluster RCTs; 9.8%) or quasi-experimental designs (26.8%). Process evaluation was mainly used in cohort (54.2%) and cross-sectional studies (33.3%). Only few articles used established evaluation frameworks or research concepts as a basis for the evaluation.ConclusionFew studies presented comprehensive evaluation study protocols or approaches with different study designs in one paper. Therefore, holistic evaluation approaches were difficult to retrieve from the classical publication formats. However, these publications would be helpful to further guide public health evaluators, contribute to methodological discussions and to inform stakeholders in research and practice to make decisions based on evaluation results.

Do Food and Nutrition Policies in Ethiopia Support the Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases through Population-Level Salt Reduction Measures? A Policy Content Analysis.

Despite the importance of salt reduction to health outcomes, relevant policy adoption in Ethiopia has been slow, and dietary consumption of sodium remains relatively high. This analysis aims to understand the content and context of existing food-related policy, strategy, and guideline documents to identify gaps and potential opportunities for salt reduction in Ethiopia in the wider context of global evidence-informed best practice nutrition policy. Policy documents relevant to food and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), published between 2010 and December 2021, were identified through searches of government websites supplemented with experts' advice. Documentary analysis was conducted drawing on the 'policy cube' which incorporates three dimensions: (i) comprehensiveness of policy measures, which for this study included the extent to which the policy addressed the food-related WHO "Best Buys" for the prevention of NCDs; (ii) policy salience and implementation potential; and (iii) equity (including gender) and human rights orientation. Thirty-two policy documents were retrieved from government ministries, of which 18 were deemed eligible for inclusion. A quarter of these documents address diet-related "Best Buys" through the promotion of healthy nutrition and decreasing consumption of excess sodium, sugar, saturated fat, and trans-fats. The remainder focuses on maternal and child health and micronutrient deficiencies. All documents lack detail relating to budget, monitoring and evaluation, equity, and rights. This review demonstrates that the Government of Ethiopia has established policy frameworks highlighting its intention to address NCDs, but that there is an opportunity to strengthen these frameworks to improve the implementation of salt reduction programs. This includes a more holistic approach, enhanced clarification of implementation responsibilities, stipulation of budgetary allocations, and promoting a greater focus on inequities in exposure to nutrition interventions across population groups. While the analysis has identified gaps in the policy frameworks, further qualitative research is needed to understand why these gaps exist and to identify ways to fill these gaps.

Promotion of healthy nutrition in primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention: a clinical consensus statement from the European Association of Preventive Cardiology.

Poor dietary habits are common and lead to significant morbidity and mortality. However, addressing and improving nutrition in various cardiovascular settings remain sub-optimal. This paper discusses practical approaches to how nutritional counselling and promotion could be undertaken in primary care, cardiac rehabilitation, sports medicine, paediatric cardiology, and public health. Nutrition assessment in primary care could improve dietary patterns and use of e-technology is likely to revolutionize this. However, despite technological improvements, the use of smartphone apps to assist with healthier nutrition remains to be thoroughly evaluated. Cardiac rehabilitation programmes should provide individual nutritional plans adapted to the clinical characteristics of the patients and include their families in the dietary management. Nutrition for athletes depends on the sport and the individual and preference should be given to healthy foods, rather than nutritional supplements. Nutritional counselling is also very important in the management of children with familial hypercholesterolaemia and congenital heart disease. Finally, policies taxing unhealthy foods and promoting healthy eating at the population or workplace level could be effective for prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Within each setting, gaps in knowledge are provided. This clinical consensus statement contextualizes the clinician's role in nutrition management in primary care, cardiac rehabilitation, sports medicine, and public health, providing practical examples of how this could be achieved.

Preparation of vegetable raw materials for food production of products with high nutritional value

The successful development of the HoReCa segment, which is intensively developing in the Russian Federation, requires continuous innovations to ensure high demand for the goods and services offered by them. The promotion of healthy nutrition seems quite relevant. Now it has become necessary not only to cook deliciously and quickly, but also to show that the products meet the requirements of healthy nutrition. In this regard, producers seek various methods to increase the nutritional value of traditional foods. A promising direction is the introduction of unconventional vegetable raw materials into the formulations, which contain a high content of certain essential food components. The paper proposes to replace part of wheat flour in such bakery products with gram flour as an enriching ingredient. This first of all will improve the biological value of the protein in finished products. To optimize the recipe components, various indicators were studied during dough fermentation, and quality indicators of the finished products were also determined in accordance with regulatory documents. The obtained innovative products were characterized by increased biological value, high quality and organoleptic properties. The technological documentation was developed for such bakery products with increased nutritional value.

Assessing Quality of Life in First- and Second-Generation Immigrant Children and Adolescents; Highlights from the DIATROFI Food Aid and Healthy Nutrition Promotion Program.

To compare first- and second-immigrant pediatric populations with a non-immigrant pediatric population in terms of quality-of-life metrics, a cross-sectional analysis using data from the DIATROFI Program was implemented. In total, n = 2277 students (mean age: 9(4) years) from public schools in Greece participating in the 2020-2021 school year were analyzed. The students' immigration status (first-generation/second-generation) was defined as per the standard definition. The students' health related-quality of life (HRQoL) was assessed using a parental-perceived quality of life questionnaire. The sample included 4.8% first-generation and 21.2% second-generation immigrant students. Compared with non-immigrants, the first-generation immigrant students were more likely to have poor HRQoL (odds ratio (OR) = 2.82; 95% confidence interval (95%CI) = 11.75, 4.53), physical (OR = 1.91; 95%CI = 1.18, 3.10), social (OR = 1.94; 95%CI = 1.16, 3.22) and school function (OR = 2.52; 95%CI = 1.54, 4.13). Similar results were observed for second-generation immigrant students regarding HRQoL (OR = 1.68; 95%CI = 1.28, 2.21), physical (OR = 1.60; 95%CI = 1.23, 2.10) and school function (OR = 2.09; 95%CI = 1.58, 2.77). Children with one parent having a country of origin different that the country of residence had elevated odds of having poor emotional health (OR = 1.19; 95%CI = 0.87, 1.64). The family's affluency level was interrelated with the connection of poor HRQoL and immigration status. The immigrant students have a poorer quality of life depending on their immigration generation and irrespective of their socioeconomic background.

Evaluating\xa0\u2018Power 4 a Healthy Pregnancy\u2019 (P4HP) \u2013 protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial and process evaluation to empower pregnant women towards improved diet quality

BackgroundIn general during pregnancy, women are aware of the importance of good diet quality, interested in nutrition, and receptive to changing dietary intake. However, adherence to dietary guidelines is sub-optimal. A pregnant woman’s first information source regarding nutrition information is her midwife. Healthy nutrition promotion by midwives may therefore be very promising, but midwives face multiple barriers in providing nutritional support. Empowering pregnant women to improve their diet quality is expected to improve their health. Therefore an empowerment intervention has been developed to improve diet quality among pregnant women. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of Power 4 a Healthy Pregnancy (P4HP). P4HP aims to empower pregnant women to have a healthier diet quality.Methods/designThis study applies a mixed methodology consisting of a non-blinded cluster randomized trial with an intervention (P4HP) group and a control group and a process evaluation. Midwifery practices, the clusters, will be randomly allocated to the intervention arm (n = 7) and control arm (n = 7). Participating women are placed in intervention or control conditions based on their midwifery practice. Each midwifery practice includes 25 pregnant women, making 350 participants in total. Health related outcomes, diet quality, empowerment, Sense of Coherence, Quality of Life, and Self-Rated Health of participants will be assessed before (T0) and after (T1) the intervention. The process evaluation focuses on multidisciplinary collaboration, facilitators, and barriers, and consists of in-depth interviews with midwives, dieticians and pregnant women.DiscussionThis study is the first to evaluate an empowerment intervention to improve diet quality in this target population. This mixed method evaluation will contribute to knowledge about the effectiveness and feasibility regarding diet quality, empowerment, health-related outcomes, multidisciplinary collaboration, facilitators and barriers of the empowerment intervention P4HP. Results will help inform how to empower pregnant women to achieve improved diet quality by midwives and dieticians. If proven effective, P4HP has the potential to be implemented nationally and scaled up to a long-term trajectory from preconception to the postnatal phase.Trial registrationThe trial is prospectively registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NL9551). Date registered: 19/05/2021.

Associations of Health-Related Conversations and Mealtime Media Device Use Among Parent-Adolescent Dyads

Abstract Objectives To determine how health-related conversations between parents and their adolescent children is associated with mealtime media device use by adolescents. Methods A sample of primarily Hispanic parents (n = 347; 43 ± 6.5 years; 89.3% female) of 6th, 7th or 8th grade adolescents enrolled in a parenting intervention focusing on the promotion of healthy nutrition and substance use prevention. Parents completed baseline surveys to self-report the frequency with which they had health-related conversations with their adolescent child (healthy eating, being physically active, adolescent's weight, adolescent weighing too much, eating differently to lose weight, exercising to lose weight), and the frequency with which the adolescent used media devices during mealtimes (television and movie watching, cellphone use or texting, handheld gaming devices, listening to music with headphones). Spearman's rank correlations were used to assess the associations between health-related communication and mealtime media device use. Results Reported conversations about healthy eating, being physically active, and general weight of the adolescent were not associated with reported use of media devices by adolescents during mealtimes. Having conversations related to the adolescent weighing too much was positively and significantly correlated with television/movie watching (r = 0.219; P < 0.0001), talking on a cellphone (r = 0.130; P < 0.05), using gaming devices (r = 0.140; P < 0.05), and listening to music with headphones (r = 0.136; P < 0.05). Having conversations about exercising to lose weight was also significantly correlated with television/movie watching during mealtimes (r = 0.137; P < 0.05). Conclusions Findings suggest that higher frequency of weight-related conversation is associated with higher usage of media devices during mealtimes. Whether parenting practices, parental concerns about their children's weight, and the home mealtime environment play a role on adolescent weight status in Hispanic households warrants further investigation. Funding Sources National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of a Maternal Child Health Bureau Nutrition Training Grant.

Burden of non-communicable diseases and behavioral risk factors in Albania

Abstract About 85% of the overall burden of disease in Albania is attributable to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases. Furthermore, NCDs account for about 94% of proportional mortality in the Albanian population. The three main risk factors responsible for the disease burden in the Albanian population include arterial hypertension, nutritional-related risks, and smoking. High systolic blood pressure accounts for about one-third of the overall mortality rate in Albania. In turn, dietary risks account for about 30% of the total mortality rate and about 15% of the overall burden of disease in Albania. Conversely, the proportional mortality attributable to smoking is about 16%. Smoking epidemics affects predominantly Albanian males and this trend is likely to increase. The proportion of Albanian females who smoke is still quite small (less than 10%) compared with other countries in the region, but female smoking is considered be steadily increasing. Differences in smoking prevalence amongst males from different socio-economic strata are not significant, whereas among females significant socio-economic differences are noted. Smoking epidemics in the future are expected to demonstrate large socioeconomic differences with lower social classes in both sexes smoking the most. Similar to other countries, actions and measures for tackling NCDs in Albania should include promotion of healthy nutrition; promotion of physical activity; and antismoking policies starting with school age children and have a gender specific component targeting different settings, enhanced by the intensive use of social media.

Association between health literacy and dietary intake of sugar, fat and salt: a systematic review.

To collect and summarise all current data from observational studies, generating evidence of the association between health literacy (HL) and the dietary intake of sugar, salt and fat, to analyse intervention studies on the promotion of an appropriate dietary intake of the above-mentioned nutrients and to ascertain whether HL moderates the efficacy of such intervention. A systematic literature search of analytical observational studies on the association between HL and dietary intake of sugar, salt and fat was performed in Medline and Scopus databases. Intervention studies on the promotion of healthy nutrition that concerned the intake of sugar, salt and fat were also assessed. Of the eight observational studies included in this review, five investigated dietary intake of sugar, one focused on salt, one assessed sugar and salt and one analysed the fat intake. The results of the five studies assessing sugar were mixed: three found an association between low levels of HL and a high sugar intake, one found this association only for boys and two found no evidence of any association. The two studies assessing salt and the one assessing fat found no evidence of any association with HL. One intervention study on the sugar intake concluded that HL was not a significant moderator of the intervention's effectiveness. No evidence of any association between HL and salt and fat intake emerged, while for sugar, the results are mixed. More work is needed to better understand the moderating effects of HL on the outcomes of health promotion interventions.

Do Parent-Child Dyads with Excessive Body Mass Differ from Dyads with Normal Body Mass in Perceptions of Obesogenic Environment?

Background: This study addressed differences between parent–child dyads with excessive body mass (overweight or obesity) and dyads with normal body mass in obesity determinants, derived from social-ecological models. It was hypothesized that parents and their 5–11 years-old children with excessive body mass would (1) report lower availability of healthy food at home, (2) perceive fewer school/local community healthy eating promotion programs, (3) report lower persuasive value of food advertising. Methods: Data were collected twice (T1, baseline; T2, 10-month follow-up), including n = 129 parent–child dyads with excessive body mass and n = 377 parent–child dyads with normal body mass. Self-reported data were collected from parents and children; with body weight and height assessed objectively. General linear models (including analysis of variance with repeated measures) were performed to test the hypotheses. Results: Compared to dyads with normal body mass, dyads of parents and children with excessive body mass perceived lower availability of healthy food at home and fewer healthy eating promotion programs at school/local community (T1 and T2). These effects remained significant after controlling for sociodemographic variables. No significant differences in persuasive value of food advertising were found. Conclusions: Perceptions of availability of healthy food at home and healthy nutrition promotion may be relatively low in parent–child dyads with excessive weight which, in turn, may constitute a risk factor for maintenance of obesity.

Promotion of Healthy Nutrition and Physical Activity Lifestyles for Teenagers: A Systematic Literature Review of The Current Methodologies.

Amid obesity problems in the young population and apparent trends of spending a significant amount of time in a stationary position, promoting healthy nutrition and physical activities to teenagers is becoming increasingly important. It can rely on different methodologies, including a paper diary and mobile applications. However, the widespread use of mobile applications by teenagers suggests that they could be a more suitable tool for this purpose. This paper reviews the methodologies for promoting physical activities to healthy teenagers explored in different studies, excluding the analysis of different diseases. We found only nine studies working with teenagers and mobile applications to promote active lifestyles, including the focus on nutrition and physical activity. Studies report using different techniques to captivate the teenagers, including questionnaires and gamification techniques. We identified the common features used in different studies, which are: paper diary, diet diary, exercise diary, notifications, diet plan, physical activity registration, gamification, smoking cessation, pictures, game, and SMS, among others.

Evidence-based intervention to prevent anemia among women of reproductive age group in developing countries

Background and Objective: Anemia in developing countries is the biggest public health problem. Reproductive age group women have high prevalence. The objective of the present study is to determine the cost-effective intervention for the reduction of anemia among women of reproductive age group. Methodology: A review of the literature was done for identifying various preventive strategies regarding anemia and its implementation barriers in low- and middle-income countries. Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were used as search engines.Results: The result of the review shows that the most cost-effective method for the prevention of anemia among women is iron fortification of food, iron supplementation, community-based health promotion of healthy nutrition. Women empowerment is the best tool for the implementation of all the above method for the prevention of anemia. Conclusion: Community-based intervention is the most effective method for reducing maternal anemia. It includes health promotion and women empowerment. There is a need to develop policies to improve the health promotion activities and involvement of women in society.

Primary prevention strategy for cardiovascular disease in Lithuania

Summary Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of premature death worldwide. More than half of deaths were caused by cardiovascular diseases in 2017 in Lithuania. Primary prevention programmes encourage both medical staff and general population to pay attention to potential health issues as well as attempt to eradicate risk factors causing cardiovascular diseases. “A Funding Programme for the Screening and Preventive Management of the High Cardiovascular Risk Individuals” published in Lithuania has been implemented as of 2006. Analysis of the results of the programme shows that the prevalent cases of arterial hypertension are gradually declining. However, the prevalence of dyslipidaemia is still not decreasing. The prevalence of other modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors has erratic trends with a slight overall decline. Consequently, mortality rate of cardiovascular diseases has decreased by more than one third among middle-age population over the past 10 years. Having higher availability of the anti-hypertensive and anti-lipid medications already achieved, the future plans include the aim of further reducing elevated blood pressure and effectively treating dyslipidaemia. In order to implement a strategy that focuses on smoking prevention, promotion of healthy nutrition and physical activity, a significant contribution is required from the state authorities.

Nutrition as aresource for networked community based health promotion for children-perspectives of parents and experts

The promotion of healthy nutrition and alimentary participation (the possibility of experiencing the social function of food) is an essential aspect of integrated overall approaches of community-based health promotion. Preschool and primary school settings are given particular importance in terms of the target group focused on by community-based approaches: children from socially disadvantaged families. How do parents and practice experts describe the status quo, potential, and obstacles in the implementation of healthy nutrition practices in the settings kindergarten and elementary school? What ist the importance of nutrition and alimentary participation within the framework of the integrated overall approach attributed by practice experts? In two urban centers, expert interviews were conducted with stakeholders of integrated overall approaches and administrators from preschools and primary schools. The perspectives held by parents in financially precarious situations or with immigrant backgrounds were explored in group discussions. Nutrition takes on an important role in the narratives of parents and experts. Preschools and primary schools draw upon daily interaction with food and shared meals in avariety of ways to foster the development of healthy eating habits and alimentary participation. It has become clear that preschools and primary schools must increasingly counteract delegation of parenting responsibilities and poor nutrition practices, for instance by providing socially compensatory breakfasts. Parents acknowledge these efforts but express criticism that food in schools is eaten under problematic spatial conditions and intense time pressure. Nutrition is used by experts as aresource but, in contrast to physical exercise or mental health, without reference to integrated community-based health promotion. Promotion of alimentary participation and healthy nutrition practice could have more impact if stakeholders saw themselves as essential components of integrated community-based health promotion.

Microbiological/chemical quality of meals in the school-based program on food aid and healthy nutrition promotion – DIATROFI: The linkage with hygiene practices observed during inspections in food suppliers' facilities

Microbiological/chemical quality of meals in the school-based program on food aid and healthy nutrition promotion – DIATROFI: The linkage with hygiene practices observed during inspections in food suppliers' facilities

PROTOCOL: Effects of preventive nutrition interventions among adolescents on health and nutritional status in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

PROTOCOL: Effects of preventive nutrition interventions among adolescents on health and nutritional status in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

Promotion of healthy nutrition in clinical practice: A cross-sectional survey of practices and barriers among physiotherapists in southeast Nigeria.

Background:Healthy diet counselling is an important concept in health promotion. Physiotherapists are well positioned to initiate or support healthy nutrition in addition to physical activity counselling, in routine patient consultation.Objective:To determine the practices about and barriers to diet counselling practices among physiotherapists in Southeast Nigeria.Methods:In this cross-sectional survey, a total of 140 questionnaires were distributed among physiotherapists.Results:Overall, 103 physiotherapists responded. Physiotherapists are confident and consider the incorporation of dietary counselling very important and of high priority in their daily clinical work. They, however, assessed and counselled on dietary status opportunistically in patients. Notwithstanding, physiotherapists believed that the diet counselling they give could be effective in helping patients change their unhealthy dieting practices. Patients were also amenable to physiotherapists advocating on diet issues as part of their consultation. Several barriers to incorporating diet counselling into physiotherapy practice were identified, including lack of access to a dietician/health promotion staff/counsellors, lack of proper patient education materials, lack of expertise in relation to dietary risk factors’ assessment and management, and uncertainty about what dietary services to provide.Conclusion:Although physiotherapists consider it important to incorporate diet counselling in their daily clinical practice, development and implementation of strategies to improve physiotherapists’ diet counselling knowledge, competence, skills, and practice are warranted.

The Correlation Between Body Mass Index and Oral Health in 12-Year-Old Students in Tehran During 2011

Background: The growing prevalence of being overweight and obesity in children has raised significant public health concerns. Obesity is considered a risk factor for several chronic health conditions and is associated with increased mortality. In addition, recent studies have shown an association between obesity and periodontal disease. Objectives: The present study sought to assess the correlation of body mass index (BMI) with periodontal disease. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,024 12-year-old elementary school students were selected by cluster sampling from five regions of Tehran. BMI was used as a measure of being overweight and obesity, and the oral hygiene index (OHI) was used to assess periodon- tal disease. A linear regression model was applied to estimate the association between BMI and OHI. The parents' level of education and family income were also evaluated. Results: A significant association was found between BMI and OHI (P = 0.001). Also, a significant reverse correlation was detected between the parents' education level with OHI (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Obesity is not a potential risk factor for periodontal disease in children of low-income families. However, periodontal disease is associated with increased BMI. Promotion of healthy nutrition and adequate physical activity may prevent the progression of periodontal disease.