Survey Of Food Intakes Research Articles

Emerging Disparities in Dietary Sodium Intake from Snacking in the US Population.

Background: The US population consumes dietary sodium well in excess of recommended levels. It is unknown how the contribution of snack foods to sodium intake has changed over time, and whether disparities exist within specific subgroups of the US population. Objective: To examine short and long term trends in the contribution of snack food sources to dietary sodium intake for US adults and children over a 37-year period from 1977 to 2014. Methods: We used data collected from eight nationally representative surveys of food intake in 50,052 US children aged 2–18 years, and 73,179 adults aged 19+ years between 1977 and 2014. Overall, patterns of snack food consumption, trends in sodium intake from snack food sources and trends in food and beverage sources of sodium from snack foods across race-ethnic, age, gender, body mass index, household education and income groups were examined. Results: In all socio-demographic subgroups there was a significant increase in both per capita sodium intake, and the proportion of sodium intake derived from snacks from 1977–1978 to 2011–2014 (p < 0.01). Those with the lowest household education, Non-Hispanic Black race-ethnicity, and the lowest income had the largest increase in sodium intake from snacks. While in 1977–1978 Non-Hispanic Blacks had a lower sodium intake from snacks compared to Non-Hispanic Whites (p < 0.01), in 2011–2014 they had a significantly higher intake. Conclusions: Important disparities are emerging in dietary sodium intake from snack sources in Non-Hispanic Blacks. Our findings have implications for future policy interventions targeting specific US population subgroups.

37year snacking trends for US children 1977-2014.

Previous studies have indicated that snacking is contributing to increased calorie intake of American children and that the energy density of snacks in US diets has increased in recent decades. Examine short-term and long-term trends in the energy density and food sources of snacks for US children from 1977 to 2014, and examine whether trends differ between socio-demographic groups. We used data collected from eight nationally representative surveys of food intake in 49,952 US children age 2-18years, between 1977 and 2014. Overall patterns of snacking, trends in energy intake from snacking, trends in food and beverage sources and energy density of snacks across race-ethnic, age, gender, education and income groups were examined. In all socio-demographic groups, there was a significant increase in per capita energy intake deriving from snacks from 1977 to 2014 (P<0.01). Salty snack intake doubled over the study period, and sugar-sweetened beverage intake decreased overall from 1977 to 2014 but increased in Non-Hispanic Blacks. Non-Hispanic Blacks had the largest increase in per capita intake from foods as a snack from 1977 to 2014. Children in the lowest poverty level and household education groups had more than 100% increase in calorie intake from snacks from 1977 to 2014. We found that snacking behaviour in the USA differs between race-ethnic, household education, gender and income groups, yet snacking remains a significant component of children's diets and the foods consumed at these snacks are not the types of foods recommended by the US dietary guidelines.

A Consistent Database of Nutrient Intakes 1978‐Present Can Improve Analyses of Consumption Trends

For decades, the Federal Government has conducted nationally representative surveys of Americans' food and nutrient intakes. Major surveys used for dietary trend analyses include the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s 1977–78 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey (NFCS) and the 1989–91 and 1994–96 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII), as well as the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)' National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). These surveys are used by researchers and policymakers to assess long‐term trends, yet methodological changes such as changes in nutrient databases can have important influences on results. The dietary references (i.e., nutrient values per 100 grams) utilized in the 1977–78 NFCS and 1989–91 CSFII differed from the 1994‐present databases, and did not contain some key nutrients like sodium. We link current dietary reference values to the 1977–78 NFCS and 1989–91 CSFII databases to create a consistent database that includes all the nutrients that can be analyzed today. We present examples of how the use of a consistent database can affect trend data using 1977–78 NFCS, the 1989–91 CSFII, and the continuous waves of NHANES 2003‐present. We describe the database we created to conduct these analyses, which will be publicly available upon completion.Support or Funding InformationSupported by U.S.Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service Cooperative Research Agreement No. 58‐4000‐6‐0009.

Abstract P221: Relationship of Dietary Carbohydrate and Fiber Intake to Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Japanese: NIPPON DATA80

Aims: The association between carbohydrate intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk has been investigated; however, it remains unclear. Carbohydrate quality is considered to be more important than its amount. Carbohydrate consists of fiber and available carbohydrate which includes starch and sugar. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship of each of carbohydrate, available carbohydrate, starch and fiber intake to the long-term CVD mortality risk in Japanese population. We also examined the relationship of the ratios of carbohydrate, available carbohydrate or starch-to-fiber to CVD risk. Methods: We prospectively followed 8,925 participants (3,916 men and 5,009 women) aged 30-79 years without CVD who participated in the National Nutrition Survey in 1980 from 300 randomly selected areas in Japan. The participants were followed for 24 years. To identify the cause of death, the National Vital Statistics database of Japan was used. Food intake survey using weighed food records over three days in each household was conducted. The nutrient intake reported for each household was proportionally allocated to each household member according to the mean consumption rate by age and sex in 1995. Ratios of carbohydrate, available carbohydrate or starch intake (g/day) divided by dietary fiber intake (g/day) were also calculated. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for CVD mortality by sex-specific quartiles of fiber (g/1000kcal), carbohydrate (%kcal), available carbohydrate (%kcal), starch (%kcal) and their ratios. HRs were adjusted for age, sex, lifestyle factors (smoking status, drinking status, BMI, medication of hypertension, past history of diabetes mellitus), and dietary factors (intakes of sodium, saturated fatty acids and long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids). Results: During 24-years of follow up, 823 CVD deaths were observed (419 men and 404 women). Adjusted HR for CVD mortality was lower in the highest quartile (Q4) of fiber intake (0.71, 95%CI: 0.57-0.89, P -trend 0.003) compared with the lowest (Q1). However, carbohydrate, available carbohydrate and starch intake were not associated with CVD mortality (Adjusted HR for Q4 compared with Q1: 1.00, 95%CI: 0.76-1.32, P -trend 0.875; 1.07, 0.82-1.40, 0.757; 0.92, 0.71-1.20, 0.619; respectively). The ratios of carbohydrate, available carbohydrate or starch-to-fiber were all positively associated with CVD mortality (Adjusted HR for Q4 compared with Q1: 1.40, 95%CI: 1.13-1.73, P -trend 0.003; 1.33, 1.08-1.64, 0.006; 1.23, 0.99-1.52, 0.032; respectively). Conclusions: Dietary fiber intake was inversely related to long-term CVD mortality risk in Japanese. The ratios of carbohydrate, available carbohydrate or starch-to-fiber were positively associated with long-term CVD mortality risk; they might be useful indexes to predict future CVD risk.

Urinary pH reflects dietary acid load in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Dietary acid load is important information, however, survey of food intake needs time and skill. Therefore, it is difficult to survey food intake from all patients. It remains to be elucidated the association between dietary acid load and urinary pH in patients with type 2 diabetes. In this cross-sectional study of 173 patients, we investigated the relationship between urinary pH and dietary acid load, assessed with potential renal acid load. Habitual food and nutrient intake was assessed by a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Urinary pH was negatively correlated with potential renal acid load (r = –0.24, p = 0.002). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that potential renal acid load (standardized regression coefficient = –0.21, p = 0.036) was associated with urinary pH after adjusting for covariates. In addition, according to the receiver operator characteristic analysis, the optimal cut-off point of urinary pH for high dietary acid load, defined as potential renal acid load over 7.0 mEq/day was 5.7 (area under the receiver operator characteristic curve 0.63 (95% CI 0.54–0.71), sensitivity = 0.56, specificity = 0.70, p = 0.004). Urinary pH was associated with dietary acid load in patients with type 2 diabetes. We suggest that urinary pH can be a practical screening marker for dietary acid load in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Added Sugars Intake Across the Distribution of US Children and Adult Consumers: 1977-2012

BackgroundPublic health organizations in the United States have recently increased focus on reducing population consumption of added sugars. ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to provide in-depth information on national trends in added sugars consumption and to examine both the mean and distribution of added sugars intake from 1977 to 2012. DesignWe conducted a descriptive study using six cross-sectional nationally representative surveys of food intake in the United States: the 1977-1978 National Food Consumption Survey (n=29,668), the 1989-1991 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (n=14,827), the 1994-1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals (n=19,027), the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; n=8,273), the 2009-2010 NHANES (n=9,042), and the 2011-2012 NHANES (n=16,451). Statistical analysisWe examined the key dependent variables, calories from added sugars and percentage of total energy intake from added sugars, at the mean and by quintiles of added sugars consumption for children (2 to 18 years) and adults (19 years and older) across the survey years. We also examined trends in added sugars intakes from foods and beverages. We used ordinary least squares regression to examine linear trends between survey years and multinomial logistic regressions to examine sociodemographic characteristics by quintile of added sugars consumption. We adjusted estimates by race, income, sex, and education. ResultsThe US mean adjusted intake of added sugars remains high. In 2011-2012, children and adults consumed 326 kcal/day and 308 kcal/day, respectively, of added sugars, or 14% and 17%, respectively, of total their energy. For both children and adults, there was a considerable increase in calories from added sugars from 1977 to 2003, followed by a substantial decline from 2003 to 2012. There was no decline in the percentage of total energy intake from added sugars from 2003 to 2012. Changes over time were consistent across each quintile of added sugars consumption. The highest quintile of consumption was more likely to be male and in children was more likely to be non-Hispanic white. ConclusionsDespite a decline in consumption of added sugars since 2003 in the United States, mean adjusted added sugars intakes continue to be above the recommended level of 10% of the total energy intake. Changes in added sugars consumption from 1977 through 2012 occurred evenly across the distribution of added sugars intakes.

Trends in Energy Intake from Alcoholic Beverages among US Adults by Sociodemographic Characteristics, 1989-2012

BackgroundLong-term US trends in alcoholic beverage calorie intakes remain unexamined, particularly with respect to changes in population subgroup-specific patterns over time. ObjectiveThis study examined shifts in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, in total and by beverage type, on any given day among US adults in relation to sociodemographic characteristics. DesignThis study was a repeated cross-sectional analysis of data from the 1989-1991 and 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and the 2003-2006 and 2009-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Participants and settingAdults aged ≥19 years (N=39,298) were targeted. A subset of alcoholic beverage consumers (n=7,081) were studied. Statistical analyses performedSurvey weighted mean per capita per day intakes (among all participants, both consumers of alcoholic beverages and nonconsumers) and contributions of beer, wine, and liquor/mixed drinks to total alcoholic beverage energy were determined. Multivariable regression models were used to examine trends in the proportion of alcoholic beverage consumers and the per consumer intakes (among consumers of alcoholic beverages only). ResultsPer capita intakes from alcoholic beverages increased from 49 kcal/capita/day in 1989-1991 to 109 kcal/capita/day in 2003-2006 (P<0.001). The proportion consuming alcoholic beverages on any given day increased significantly from 1989-1991 to 2009-2012 (P for overall increasing trend <0.0001) for most sociodemographic subgroups. Per consumer, alcoholic beverage calories increased between 1989-1991 and 1994-1996 (P<0.05) for many subpopulations. Adults with less than high school education were less likely to consume alcohol, yet had higher per consumer calorie intakes compared with adults with a college degree. Women and adults aged ≥60 years experienced a shift away from liquor/mixed drinks toward wine between 2003-2006 and 2009-2012. Beer contributed roughly 70% to total alcoholic beverage intake for less educated consumers across time. ConclusionsThese results indicate there has been an increase in the proportion of US adults who drink on any given day and an increase in calories consumed from alcoholic beverages when drinking occurs.

Update on NHANES Dietary Data: Focus on Collection, Release, Analytical Considerations, and Uses to Inform Public Policy.

NHANES is the cornerstone for national nutrition monitoring to inform nutrition and health policy. Nutritional assessment in NHANES is described with a focus on dietary data collection, analysis, and uses in nutrition monitoring. NHANES has been collecting thorough data on diet, nutritional status, and chronic disease in cross-sectional surveys with nationally representative samples since the early 1970s. Continuous data collection began in 1999 with public data release in 2-y cycles on ∼10,000 participants. In 2002, the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and the NHANES dietary component were merged, forming a consolidated dietary data collection known as What We Eat in America; since then, 24-h recalls have been collected on 2 d using the USDA’s Automated Multiple-Pass Method. Detailed and targeted food-frequency questionnaires have been collected in some NHANES cycles. Dietary supplement use data have been collected (in detail since 2007) so that total nutrient intakes can be described for the population. The continuous NHANES can adapt its content to address emerging public health needs and reflect federal priorities. Changes in data collection methods are made after expert input and validation/crossover studies. NHANES dietary data are used to describe intake of foods, nutrients, food groups, and dietary patterns by the US population and large sociodemographic groups to plan and evaluate nutrition programs and policies. Usual dietary intake distributions can be estimated after adjusting for day-to-day variation. NHANES remains open and flexible to incorporate improvements while maintaining data quality and providing timely data to track the nation’s nutrition and health status. In summary, NHANES collects dietary data in the context of its broad, multipurpose goals; the strengths and limitations of these data are also discussed in this review.

The relationship between arterial stiffness and the lifestyle habits of female athletes after retiring from competitive sports: a prospective study.

This study investigated the relationship between changes in arterial stiffness and the lifestyle habits of endurance athletes after retiring from competition. The subjects were 10 female university endurance athletes. We used formPWV/ABI® as an index for arterial stiffness and measured brachial-ankle pulse-wave velocity (baPWV) directly before subjects retired (0Y) and at 2years after retirement (2Y). Furthermore, to investigate the relationship between arterial stiffness and lifestyle habits 2years later, Lifecorder ® PLUS was used to measure physical activity levels, hours of sleep were surveyed using a questionnaire, and a food intake survey was conducted using Excel Eiyoukun Food Frequency Questionnaire Based on Food Group, FFQg Ver. 3.5. We found that baPWV increased significantly from 0Y to 2Y (P<0·05). Furthermore, negative correlations were observed between 2Y baPWV and step count as the physical activity index (r=-0·653, P<0·05) and moderate physical activity (r=-0·663, P<0·05). With regard to lifestyle habits that affected the amount of increase in baPWV from 0Y to 2Y (ΔbaPWV), negative correlations were noted between the step count (r=-0·690, P<0·05) and total physical activity (r=-0·657, P<0·05). However, no significant correlations were observed between 2Y baPWV and ΔbaPWV with food intake or hours of sleep. The results of this study suggested that physical activity was a lifestyle habit that inhibited an increase in arterial stiffness after retirement from competition and that having a high step count or engaging in physical activity for long periods of time in particular was useful in this regard.

Personality traits and health behaviors as predictors of subjective wellbeing among a multiethnic sample of university-attending emerging young adults

This study examines the relative contributions of individual characteristics of personality and health behaviors to subjective wellbeing among university-attending emerging young adults. Three dimensions of wellbeing were assessed: affective (positive affect), physical/mental (overall health), and cognitive (quality of life). The sample (N=599) consisted of students of various racial/ethnic backgrounds, including White/non-Hispanic, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Black/African American from a large public university in Southern California (28% male, 72% female; mean age = 20.85, SD = 1.84). Respondents completed the Student Health Survey, which consisted of items on basic demographics, substance use, health behaviors, Affect Balance Scale, Extraversion and Neuroticism subscales of the Big Five Taxonomy of Personality, Quality of Life scale, and an online food-intake survey for seven days. Descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations were calculated as preliminary analysis and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine how each set of predictors contributes to the overall predictive ability and relative importance on subjective wellbeing. Extraverted individuals reported more positive affect and higher quality of life. Neuroticism was associated with less positive affect, poorer health, and lower quality of life. Physical activity was consistently associated with subjective wellbeing, accounting for 33%, 13%, and 32% of the total variance in positive affect, overall health, and quality of life, respectively. Findings indicate that health behaviors are important correlates of three dimensions of wellbeing over and above the effects of personality traits. Implications for designing health and wellness programs to improve the wellbeing and quality of life among young adults are discussed.

Daily intake of dairy products in Brazil and contributions to nutrient intakes: a cross-sectional study.

Dairy products are sources of protein and micronutrients important in a healthy diet. The purpose of the present analysis was to estimate consumption of dairy products by Brazilians and identify contributions of dairy products to nutrient intakes. Dairy consumption data were obtained from 24 h dietary records. Dairy products were defined as milk (including flavoured), cheese and yoghurt. Estimates of dairy product intakes were generated for all individuals, individuals in urban and rural households and for age groups 10-18 years, 19-59 years and ≥60 years. Contributions to nutrient intakes were estimated for the total sample and sub-populations. Nationwide cross-sectional survey, 2008-2009. Nationally representative sample of individuals aged ≥10 years in the Individual Food Intake survey, a component of the Brazilian Household Budget Survey (n 34 003). Among individuals aged ≥10 years, per capita intake of dairy products was 142 (se 2.1) g/d. Dairy product intake was higher among individuals in urban compared with rural areas and among groups 10-18 years and ≥60 years compared with adults aged 19-59 years. Dairy products accounted for 6.1% of daily energy intake, 7.3% of protein, 16.9% of saturated fat, 11.1% and 4.3% of total and added sugars, respectively, and 10.2-37.9% of daily Ca, vitamin D, P, vitamin A and K. Dairy products were substantial contributors to daily intakes of selected nutrients of concern in Brazil, although mean daily dairy product consumption was less than a typical portion. Education efforts in Brazil to raise awareness about the nutritional role of dairy foods may serve to improve overall diet quality.

The creation of a healthy eating motivation score and its association with food choice and physical activity in a cross sectional sample of Irish adults.

BackgroundThis study aimed to develop a healthy eating motivation score and to determine if dietary, lifestyle and activity behaviours vary across levels of motivation to eat a healthy diet with a view to informing health promotion interventions.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of food intake, physical activity, lifestyles and food choice attitudes was conducted in a nationally representative sample of 1262 adults in the Republic of Ireland aged 18 years and over.ResultsIncreasing score for health motivation was significantly and positively related to healthy eating and exercise. Women, increasing age, normal BMI, regular exercise and increasing intakes of fruit and vegetables were associated with a higher odds ratio (OR) for having a high healthy eating motivation score. However, despite a high motivation score only 31 % of consumers in the strong motivation group achieved the recommendations for daily fruit and vegetable consumption, while 57 % achieved the fat recommendation. A higher intake of calorie dense foods from the top shelf of the food pyramid and increased time spent watching T.V. was associated with a decreased OR for positive motivation towards healthy eating.ConclusionsHealthy eating promotions directed at women and older adults should focus on supporting people’s motivations to attain a healthy diet by addressing issues such as dietary self-control and self-regulation. For men and younger adults, healthy eating promotions will need to address the issues underlying their weak attitudes towards healthy eating.

Food intake reported versus nursing records: is there agreement in surgical patients?

To evaluate the agreement between oral feeding by patients and chart records of this acceptance. Besides the food intake surveys of surgical patients, the nursing records of nutrition were evaluated. Is was considered good oral feeding: intake ≥ 75% of total calories prescribed at the day; medium acceptance: 50 to 74.9%; low acceptance: < 50% and NPO (nothing per oral). The Kappa coefficient was adopted to assess agreement. There were similar answers between patient and nursing records in 91.3% of NPO situations, 87.1% for good oral feeding, 17.8% for medium acceptance and 16.5% for low acceptance (Kappa = 0.45). Agreement between patient's reports and nursing records was moderate to low. A higher proportion of similar answers were observed when the patients related good oral feeding or NPO.

Food intake survey of kindergarten children in Korea: Part 1 food, energy, and nutrient intake

Nutrient intakes of children were surveyed at the time when a nation-wide shift took place in the Republic of Korea from agriculture-based to industrialized society. Taking advantage of the survey locations (see below), possible delay in nutritional improvement in rural areas (as compared with that in an urban area) was also examined. In total, 108 4- to 6-year-old children (boys and girls in combination) in 4 kindergartens (KGs; 1 in Seoul and 3 in Jeju Island) participated in the survey in 2003-2004. 24-h food duplicate samples were prepared by the mother of each child. Food items in each duplicate sample were separated and coded with reference to the Dietary Reference Intake for Koreans (the 2005 version). Nutrient intake of the day was estimated from the code and weight followed by summation for daily intake. The children in the KG in Seoul studied were younger, and therefore were smaller in body size than those in other KGs. Thus, it was considered necessary to evaluate nutrient intake not only on a daily basis, but after adjustment for body weight. The AM daily intake of energy (protein in parenthesis) for the 108 children was 1479 kcal (55 g)/day or 69.8 kcal (2.6 g)/kg body weight/day. Evaluation by individual nutrient suggested that the intake was sufficient for almost all nutrients except for sodium and potassium. Sodium and potassium intake (2285 and 1840 mg/day, respectively) was in excess and insufficient, respectively, with potential risk of inducing hypertension later in life. Inter-KG difference was not remarkable and therefore urban-rural difference was not apparent. Nutrient intakes as a whole appeared to be sufficient urban and rural areas. Nevertheless, excess Na intake coupled with insufficient K intake was a common problem.

Food intake survey of kindergarten children in Korea: Part 3 cadmium and lead burden.

This study was initiated to elucidate the extent of dietary exposure of children in Korea to two pollutant metals of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb). Possible urban-rural difference was also examined. Food duplicate and morning spot urine samples were collected from 108 children in 4 kindergartens (KG) (1 KG in Seoul and 3 KGs in Jeju Island), as reported in a previous publication. The samples were analyzed for Cd and Pb by ICP-MS. Cd and Pb in food duplicate and urine samples were distributed approximately log-normally. Geometric means for Cd and Pb in food duplicate samples were 12.4 and 5.8 μg/day, or 0.58 and 0.27 μg/kg body weight/day, respectively, and the values for Cd and Pb in urine (as observed, i.e., with no correction for urine density) were 0.91 and 1.64 μg/L, respectively. 2.41 and 0.30 μg/day of Cd and Pb (accounting for 19.5 and 5.1%) came from boiled rice, the staple food. The levels of Cd and Pb burden among the children in the present survey were essentially the same with the levels reported for children in Pusan. The reasons for difference in the rank in Cd-D and Cd-U among the 4 KGs need further study. The observed levels of Cd and Pb exposure were more or less similar to what were reported for children in Pusan. No apparent urban-rural difference could be detected.

Food intake survey of kindergarten children in Korea: Part 2 increased dietary intake of tin possibly associated with canned foods.

Dietary intake of tin (Sn) may be increased in some children in kindergartens in Korea. The present study was intended to examine this possibility and clarify the extent of the elevation. 24-hour food duplicate and spot urine samples were collected in 2003-2004 from 108 4-6-year-old children (boys and girls combined) in 4 kindergartens (1 in Seoul and 3 in Jeju Island), as reported in a previous publication. These samples were employed in the present analyses to examine tin levels in the diet (including beverages) (Sn-D). A portion of the samples were wet-ashed, and the liquid samples were analyzed for Sn by the ICP-MS method. For statistical evaluation, χ (2) method and Smirnov's test for extreme value were used. Sn-D in the 108 cases distributed as extremely biased, and could be divided into two groups, i.e., those with <10 μg Sn/day (accounting for 90% of the cases), and those with >10 μg/day (for 10%). Sn-D in the former group was distributed quasi-normally with an AM (median) of 2.9 (2.5) μg/day. The maximum in the latter group was 3012 μg/day. No correlation was detected between Sn-D and Sn in urine (Sn-U). Comparison of the findings with published articles strongly suggested that the high Sn-D was due to consumption of foods (including beverages) preserved in tin-plated cans. No positive confirmation was however possible due to insufficient information on food records. About 10% of children surveyed had elevated Sn-D (up to 3 mg/day). It was quite possible that high Sn-D was associated with tin-canned food intake.

A survey of diet self-efficacy and food intake in students with high and low perceived stress.

ObjectiveGiven the rise in obesity and obesity-related disorders, understanding the relationship between stress, self-efficacy and food choice in young adulthood may have implications for preventing negative health outcomes later in life that stem from poor eating habits. The current study examined whether stress levels and diet self-efficacy may be associated with unhealthy eating habits in young adults.MethodsMale and female undergraduate students (N = 136) completed questionnaires that tap into diet self-efficacy (DSE), perceived stress (PS), sodium, and fat intake. Sex differences in choice of food were predicted, and low levels of perceived stress and high diet self-efficacy were expected to be associated with lower fat and sodium intake.ResultsFindings indicate an interaction between perceived stress and diet self-efficacy on fat intake and a main effect for diet self-efficacy on sodium intake in this population. As expected, low levels of perceived stress and high diet self-efficacy were associated with the lowest levels of fat and sodium intake in students. Findings were driven by females.ConclusionsThis study provides preliminary evidence that diet self-efficacy and perceived stress levels relate to nutrient intake in young adult females, and that increasing diet self-efficacy and reducing perceived stress in young adult females may lead to reductions in fat and sodium intake, leading to healthier eating habits.

Probabilistic Bioactive Food Compound Intakes in the European BACCHUS Project

ObjectiveThe EU funded BACCHUS project aims to develop tools and resources to study relationships between bioactive food compound intakes and cardiovascular health in humans. To handle variation and uncertainty of bioactive levels in foods a probabilistic model of bioactive intakes was used to estimate distributions of population intakes.MethodsTo assess food bioactive intake distributions in Europe, national food intake surveys were used from the UK, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain. To account for variability and uncertainty of bioactive concentrations within foods, the foods consumed were linked to discrete bioactive concentration distributions using published data on plant based foods as captured in the eBasis database. Daily bioactive population intakes were calculated using a probabilistic intake model in the Creme Nutrition® software.ResultsData shows apple (g/day) and catechin (mg/day) intakes from apples and apple products in the four countries. Daily intakes (mg/day) Ireland UK Spain Norway Mean (95%ile) Mean (95%ile) Mean (95%ile) Mean (95%ile) Apple + Apple Products 33 (135) 32 (129) 42 (183) 78 (300) Catechin 1±0.1 (5.8±0.4) 1±0.1 (5.2±0.3) 1.3±0.06 (8±0.4) 2.5±0.14 (14.8±1.0) Epicatechin 13±0.6 (56.5±3.5) 12.9±0.65 (54.5±3.6) 16.7±0.48 (73.1±2.4) 29.8±1.06 (119.6±6.0) Epigallocatechin 22.4±0.9 (92.2±4.1) 21.7±1.0 (88.2±4.9) 28.9±0.8 (125.2±6.8) 53.1±1.8 (204.9±7.7) Epicatechin‐gallate 0.1±0.0 (0.3±0.0) 0.1±0.0 (0.2±0.0) 0.1±0.0 (0.3±0.0) 0.1±0.0 (0.6±0.0) ConclusionThis study enables the link between bioactive concentration levels in foods and representative population intakes, using probabilistic intake models to better estimate full intake distributions in a population.

Dietary patterns and body mass indices among adults in Korea: evidence from pseudo panel data

AbstractThe debate over the association between dietary patterns and obesity has not been settled in the literature. Some studies suggest that there are significant differences in mean body mass index across dietary patterns whereas other studies refute that result. The objective of this study is to test whether dietary patterns have a significant effect on body mass index in Korean adults when controlling for calorie intake and several sociodemographic factors. We present new evidence derived from pseudo panel data created from a series of cross‐sections. Our results from the pseudo panel analysis show that some of the dietary patterns that were identified from the Korean adults’ food intake survey have a significant effect on body mass index. Specifically, males with the “beef and processed food” (P &lt; 0.05), or “pork and alcohol” (P &lt; 0.05) dietary pattern had significantly higher BMIs, whereas females with the “fast food” (P &lt; 0.1) or “ramen and bakery” (P &lt; 0.01) dietary pattern had higher BMI.

The focused information criterion for varying-coefficient partially linear measurement error models

Under general parametric models, Claeskens and Hjort (J Am Stat Assoc 98:900–916, 2003) proposed a focused information criterion for model selection which emphasizes the accuracy of estimation for particular parameters of interest. This paper extends their framework to include a semi-parametric varying-coefficient partially linear model when covariates in both the parametric and the non-parametric parts are subject to measurement errors. We allow the covariance matrices of the measurement errors to be unknown and be estimated by replicated observations. Also, we derive the asymptotic properties of the frequentist model average estimator for the model in consideration, which generalizes the results obtained by Wang et al. (Electron J Stat 6:1017–1039, 2012). In addition to asymptotic properties, finite sample performance of the proposed methods are examined in a simulation study, and a data set obtained from Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (CSFII) is considered.