bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nutritional status and dietary practices of 4–24-month-old children from a rural South African community
Authors: Faber Mieke , Benadé AJS 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjectivesTo assess the nutritional status and dietary practices of 4–24-month-old children (under-twos) in a rural South African community.DesignCross-sectional survey.SettingA low socioeconomic rural African community (Ndunakazi), approximately 60 km north-west of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.SubjectsChildren (n= 115), 4–24 months old who attended growth monitoring posts in the area.ResultsOf these under-twos, 37.3% had low vitamin A status (serum retinol < 20 μg dl−1), 65.2% were anaemic, 43.2% had serum ferritin levels < 10 μgl−1(an indicator of low iron stores) and 15.3% were stunted. Breastfeeding was initiated by 99% of mothers. At the time of the survey, 80% of infants in the 4–12-month-old category and 56.9% of children in the 12–24-month-old category were being breastfed. Solid foods were introduced at 3.6 ± 0.8 months. Food intake reflected a high intake of carbohydrate-rich foods, and irregular intakes of fruit and vegetables, especially those rich in vitamin A. Foods of animal origin were not consumed regularly. Of these under-twos, 15.9% experienced an episode of diarrhoea during 2 weeks prior to the survey.ConclusionThese under-twos had a poor vitamin A and iron status. Nutrition education, intervention programmes and feeding schemes should address micronutrient deficiencies, with the focus on the quality of the diet, rather than quantity.
Public health issues arising from microbiological and labelling quality of foods and supplements containing probiotic microorganisms
Authors: Hamilton-Miller JMT , Shah S , Winkler JT 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the accuracy and helpfulness of labelling on products containing probiotic bacteria.Design and setting52 such products – 44 from the UK (21 supplements, 15 fermented functional foods, eight ‘health-care’ products) and eight from continental Europe – have been tested for microbiological content, and results compared to the information available on their labels. Products were stored in the dark at 4°C and analysed before their expiry or sell-by date. Careful note was taken of wording on labels, package inserts, packaging, promotional literature and catalogue descriptions, as applicable. Products were cultured on appropriate bacteriological media, and organisms grown were counted and identified.ResultsBioyoghurts gave no indication of numbers, and only five accurately described their bacterial content; results of culture were usually satisfactory. ‘Health-care’ products (mostly intended for the bowel) usually indicated the presence of bacteria, but the numerical content was hard to ascertain, and cultural results fell short of label claims. Supplements were sometimes incorrectly labelled in bacteriological terms, and often contained markedly reduced numbers and/or had extraneous strains and/or strains specified on the label were missing. Products from continental Europe (that were sold for specific medical indications) seemed of a higher microbiological standard. The potential pathogen Enterococcus faecium was found in nine products. The most successful of the new functional foods in Britain now contain probiotics, and probiotic preparations are prominent among the expanding range of nutritional supplements presently available to consumers.ConclusionsOur findings have public health implications, and suggest that improvements are needed in labelling and quality assurance procedures for products containing probiotic organisms. The presence of the potential pathogen Enterococcus faecium (intentionally or as a contaminant) in some products calls for a review of the value of this species as a probiotic.
Risk factors for iron deficiency anaemia in preschool children in northern Ethiopia
Authors: Adish AA , Esrey SA , Gyorkos TW , Johns T 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo determine risk factors for anaemia in preschool children.DesignA cross-sectional study.SettingTigray province, northern Ethiopia.Subjects2080 of 2373 children aged 6–60 months provided blood to assess anaemia.ResultsAnaemia was highly prevalent (42%) and constituted an important nutritional problem in the region. In a sub-sample of 230 anaemic children, 56% had a low red blood cell (RBC) count, and 43% had a serum ferritin of less than 12 μg l−1indicating that the anaemia was largely due to iron deficiency. Unlike other regions in developing countries, hookworm (0.4%) and malaria (0.0%) were rare and contributed little to the anaemia. Even though their diet lacked variety, the amount of iron consumed through cereal-based staple foods was adequate. However, the iron in these foods was not readily available and their diets were probably high in iron absorption inhibitors and low in enhancers. Dietary factors associated with anaemia included frequent consumption of inhibitors, such as fenugreek and coffee, and poor health in the child such as diarrhoea and stunting.ConclusionsUnderlying causes of anaemia were lack of safe water and inadequate human waste management, maternal illiteracy and mother being ill, and having no food reserves. The root cause of these factors was poverty. The optimal control strategy for iron deficiency anaemia should have a holistic approach which includes the alleviation of poverty, the empowerment of women and the provision of a safe environment.
Evaluation of a simplified vitamin supplement inventory developed for the Women's Health Initiative
Authors: Patterson Ruth E , Levy Lisa , Tinker Lesley Fels , Kristal Alan R 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the accuracy of a simplified inventory procedure for assessing nutrient intake from vitamin and mineral supplements.DesignParticipants brought their supplements to a clinic. An interviewer conducted the supplement inventory procedure, which consisted of recording data on the type of multiple vitamin and single supplements used. For the multiple vitamins, the interviewer recorded the exact dose for a subset of nutrients (vitamin C, calcium, selenium). For other nutrients, we imputed the dose in multiple vitamins. The dose of all single supplements was recorded. Labels of the supplements were photocopied and we transcribed the exact nutrient label data for the criterion measure. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to assess precision of nutrient intakes from the simplified inventory compared to the criterion measure.Setting/subjectsData are from 104 adult vitamin supplement users in Washington state.ResultsCorrelation coefficients between nutrient intake estimated from the simplified inventory compared to the criterion measure were high (0.8–1.0) for those nutrients (vitamin C, calcium, selenium) for which the interviewer recorded the exact dose contained in multiple vitamins. However, for nutrients for which imputations were made regarding dose in multiple vitamins, correlation coefficients ranged from good (0.8 for vitamin E) to poor (0.3 for iron).ConclusionsThe simplified inventory is rapid (4–5 min) and practical for large-scale studies. The precision of nutrient estimates using this procedure was variable, although excellent for the subset of nutrients for which the dose was recorded exactly. This study illustrates many of the challenges of collecting high quality supplement data.
Association between low levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and breast cancer risk
Authors: Janowsky Esther C , Lester Gayle E , Weinberg Clarice R , Millikan Robert C , Schildkraut Joellen M , Garrett Peter A , Hulka Barbara S 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjectiveTo determine if blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-D) or its active metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-D), are lower in women at the time of first diagnosis of breast cancer than in comparable women without breast cancer.DesignThis was a clinic-based case–control study with controls frequency-matched to cases on race, age, clinic and month of blood drawing.SettingUniversity-based breast referral clinics.SubjectsOne hundred and fifty-six women with histologically documented adenocarcinoma of the breast and 184 breast clinic controls.ResultsThere were significant mean differences in 1,25-D levels (pmol ml−1) between breast cancer cases and controls; white cases had lower 1,25-D levels than white controls (mean difference ± SE: −11.08 ± 0.76), and black cases had higher 1,25-D levels than black controls (mean difference ± SE: 4.54 ± 2.14), although the number of black women in the study was small. After adjustment for age, assay batch, month of blood draw, clinic and sample storage time, the odds ratio (95% confidence interval, CI) for lowest relative to highest quartile was 5.2 (95% CI 2.1, 12.8) for white cases and controls. The association in white women was stronger in women above the median age of 54 than in younger women, 4.7 (95% CI 2.1, 10.2) vs. 1.5 (95% CI 0.7, 3.0). There were no case–control differences in 25-D levels in either group.ConclusionsThese data are consistent with a protective effect of 1,25-D for breast cancer in white women.
Relative validity of a food frequency questionnaire among tin miners in China: 1992/93 and 1995/96 diet validation studies
Authors: Forman MR , Zhang J , Nebeling L , Yao S-X , Slesinski MJ , Qiao Y-L , Ross S , Keith S , Maher M , Giffin C , Barrett M , Taylor PR , Graubard BI 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjectiveDiet validation research was conducted to compare the respondents' reporting of dietary intake in a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with intake reported in food recalls. Because the population received annual salary increments that could modify food intake, diet validation studies (DVSs) were conducted during two time intervals.DesignA 99-item FFQ was administered by an interviewer twice in a 1-year interval, and responses to each FFQ item were compared with 28 days of interviewer-administered food recalls that were collected in four 1-week intervals during each season of 1992/93. The second validation study in 1995/96 had a similar design to the earlier one.SettingA prospective cohort study of lung cancer among tin miners in China was initiated in 1992, with dietary and other risk factors updated annually.SubjectsAmong a cohort of high risk tin miners for lung cancer, two different samples (n = 141 in 1992/93, and n = 113 in 1995/96) for each diet validation study were randomly selected from four mine units, that were representative of all worker units.ResultsMiners reported a significantly higher average frequency of intake of foods in the food recalls than the FFQ, with few exceptions. Deattenuated Pearson correlation coefficients of the frequency of food intake between the FFQ and food recalls were in the range of –0.40 to 0.72 in both studies, with higher positive correlations for beverages and cereal staples than for animal protein sources, vegetables, fruits and legumes. The percentage of individuals with exact agreement in the extreme quartiles of intake in the food recalls and FFQ ranged from 0 to 100% in both studies.ConclusionsAmong Chinese miners, the range in correlations between the food recalls and the FFQ were due to: (i) market availability of foods during the food recall weeks compared to their annual reported intake in the FFQ; (ii) cultural perception of time; and (iii) differences in how the intake of mixed dishes and their multi-ingredient foods were reported in the recalls vs. the FFQ. The range in the percentage of agreement in the same quartiles and the changes in food intake over time may have implications for the analysis of the diet-disease relationship in this cohort.
Physical activity and energy balance
Authors: Van Baak Marleen A. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractEnergy expenditure rises above resting energy expenditure when physical activity is performed. The activity-induced energy expenditure varies with the muscle mass involved and the intensity at which the activity is performed: it ranges between 2 and 18 METs approximately. Differences in duration, frequency and intensity of physical activities may create considerable variations in total energy expenditure. The Physical Activity Level (= total energy expenditure divided by resting energy expenditure) varies between 1.2 and 2.2–2.5 in healthy adults. Increases in activity-induced energy expenditure have been shown to result in increases in total energy expenditure, which are usually greater than the increase in activity-induced energy expenditure itself. No evidence for increased spontaneous physical activity, measured by diary, interview or accelerometer, was found. However, this does not exclude increased physical activity that can not be measured by these methods. Part of the difference may also be explained by the post-exercise elevation of metabolic rate.If changes in the level of physical activity affect energy balance, this should result in changes in body mass or body composition. Modest decreases of body mass and fat mass are found in response to increases in physical activity, induced by exercise training, which are usually smaller than predicted from the increase in energy expenditure. This indicates that the training-induced increase in total energy expenditure is at least partly compensated for by an increase in energy intake. There is some evidence that the coupling between energy expenditure and energy intake is less at low levels of physical activity. Increasing the level of physical activity for weight loss may therefore be most effective in the most sedentary individuals.
Macronutrient balances and obesity: the role of diet and physical activity
Authors: Astrup Arne 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObservational cross-sectional and longitudinal studies suggest that a high fat diet and physical inactivity are independent risk factors for weight gain and obesity. Mechanistic and intervention studies support that fat possesses a lower satiating power than carbohydrate and protein, and a diet low in fat therefore decreases energy intake. The effect of dietary fat on energy balance is enhanced in susceptible subjects, particularly in sedentary individuals with a genetic predisposition to obesity who consume a high fat diet.Dietary carbohydrate promotes its own oxidation by an insulin-mediated stimulation of glucose oxidation. In contrast, high fat meals do not increase fat oxidation acutely. A sedentary life-style and low physical fitness cause a low muscular fat oxidation capacity, and the consumption of a high fat diet by these individuals promotes fat storage in a synergistic fashion.Ad libitum low fat diets cause weight loss proportional to pre-treatment body weight in a dose-dependent way, i.e. weight loss is correlated positively to the reduction in dietary fat content. Increased physical activity prevents relapse after weight loss and studies have shown that those who keep up a higher level of physical activity are more successful in maintaining the reduced body weight. In conclusion, important interactions exist between genetic make up, dietary fat and physical fitness, so that a low fitness level and susceptible genes reduce muscular fat oxidation capacity which may decrease the tolerance of dietary fat. Increasing daily physical activity and reducing dietary fat content may be more effective when combined than when separate in preventing weight gain and obesity.
Interaction between physical activity and diet: implications for blood pressure management in primary care
Authors: Margetts BM , Little P , Warm D 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjectives:This review summarises the evidence for the effectiveness of primary care based interventions of diet and physical activity aimed at reducing blood pressure.Background:As blood pressure rises so does the risk of heart disease and stroke. There is a large literature on the effects on blood pressure of changing various aspects of diet either as single nutrient interventions, patterns of food consumption, or the addition of dietary supplements (potassium, magnesium, and fish oil). Controlled trials have been undertaken to assess the relative benefits of lifestyle changes in activity (walking etc) compared with more structured exercise programmes. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that changes in diet and activity under controlled conditions can reduce blood pressure and delay or reduce the need for drug treatment in subjects who are hypertensive. What is less clear is how to achieve these lifestyle changes in the primary care setting as part of routine clinical management.Results:There have been a number of systematic reviews undertaken to evaluate the evidence. The interventions were either delivered alone or in combination with other advice, either with or without aids, and by various practice nurse staff (GP, nurse, Dietitian); follow-up varied from 3 months to a year. Compliance with the advice was generally not measured. The variability in the quality of the studies and interventions made it difficult to draw conclusions: any effects seen tended to be small.Conclusions:Equivocal results (non statistically significant reductions) should not be considered as proof of no effect without careful consideration of the effects of chance, bias and confounding, and without better measures of compliance. There is little debate that, under investigator control, blood pressure can be reduced by changes in diet and activity. Changes to a ‘healthy’ diet (low in total and saturated fat; energy intake balanced with expenditure to maintain or achieve optimal body weight; low in salt; high in fruits, vegetables, legumes; and whole grains) and increases in modest levels of physical activity (walking etc) would be expected to reduce blood pressure by between two and four mmHg. A shift in the population distribution of this order would be expected to have a substantial impact on population mortality patterns and could be achieved cost-effectively in primary care.
Interaction of physical activity and diet: implications for haemostatic factors
Authors: Rauramaa Rainer , Väisänen SB 
Published: June 2008

AbstractRegular moderate intensity physical activity and habitual diet providing no more than one third of energy from fats have been recommended for the prevention of atherosclerotic diseases. The background for these guidelines is the key role of plasma lipids. However, the importance of thrombogenesis in acute myocardial infarction has become obvious during the last decade. Hyperlipidaemia and excess of adipose tissue increase platelet aggregability and blood coagulation, and decrease fibrinolysis. Both regular physical activity and dietary fat reduction decrease blood lipids and body fat thereby diminishing the risk of thrombosis. Currently, data on interactions between physical activity and diet on haemostasis are scarce, and the few studies available have not demonstrated additional effects when these two lifestyle modifications have been combined. This paper is restricted only to studies using controlled randomized design. Regular moderate intensity physical activity as well as diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids decrease platelet aggregability. The effects of regular physical activity on plasma fibrinogen remain contradictory, while the impact of diet is even less clear. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, a possible link between insulin resistance syndrome and coronary heart disease, may decrease due to physical training or low fat diet. It can be hypothesized that moderation in physical activity and diet carries a more powerful impact on blood coagulation and fibrinolysis than either lifestyle modification alone. Studies focusing on the interactions of regular moderate physical activity and fat-modified diet are needed in efforts to optimize the preventive actions by lifestyle changes.
Longitudinal relationships between lifestyle and cardiovascular and bone health status indicators in males and females between 13 and 27 years of age; a review of findings from the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study
Authors: Van Mechelen W. , Twisk J.W.R , Kemper H.C.G , Snel J. , Post G.B. 
Published: June 2008

AbstractThe Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study is longitudinal co-hort study on 181 males and females initially aged 13 years, with follow-up measurements at ages 14, 15, 16, 21 and 27 years.Methods:Anthropometrical, biological and lifestyle parameters, and age 27 also bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (L2–L4), were measured repeatedly. Adolescent dietary intake and physical activity was related to adult cardiovascular and bone health status indicators by MLR; longitudinal relationships between physical activity and dietary intake, and cardiovascular health status indicators were assessed by GEE-analysis.Results:Adolescent physical activity was not related to most of the indicators of adult cardiovascular health status, with the exception of a positive relationship with the waist-to-hip in females; in males ‘energetic’ adolescent physical activity contributed significantly to adult BMD; both in males and females, when taking the entire longitudinal period into account, peak strain physical activity was a relatively more important predictor of adult BMD than ‘energetic’ physical activity; calcium intake during adolescence was not a significant predictor of bone health status measured at age 27, both in males and females; a consistent significant positive longitudinal relationship was found between physical activity and serum HDL-cholesterol and significant negative longitudinal relationships were found with the subscapular skinfold and with body fat mass; a positive longitudinal relationship was found between serum total cholesterol (TC) and cholesterol intake, saturated fat (SFA) intake and the Keys-score; a negative longitudinal relationship was found between TC and polyunsaturated fat and total energy intake; for HDL a positive longitudinal relationship was found with SFA intake; low tracking was found for physical (in-) activity and dietary intake variables.
Health potential of soy isoflavones for menopausal women
Authors: Anderson John JB , Anthony Mary S , Cline J Mark , Washburn Scott A , Garner Sanford C 
Published: June 2008

AbstractObjective:To review the current literature on the effects of soy isoflavones, one class of phyto-oestrogens, on cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, cancer and climacteric symptoms.Design:Many study designs were employed in the reports reviewed here, including prospective human trials, observational human studies, animal experiments andin vitrocell studies that explored the protective or preventive effects of soy isoflavones (genistein, daidzein and glycitein alone or mixed).Setting:Diverse settings were employed, depending on study design.Subjects:Human subjects, mostly menopausal or postmenopausal, were included, as were animal models and specific cell types.Results:The findings were: (i) isoflavones plus soy protein together were needed to obtain the highly significant beneficial results on blood lipids and arterial dimensions; (ii) isoflavone treatments alone at high doses (relative to above) consistently improved bone parameters in rodent ovariectomized models, but not in humans or primates; (iii) isoflavones were not consistent in exerting positive effects regarding the prevention or treatment of cancers of the mammary glands, uterus and colon; and (iv) the effects of isoflavones on climacteric symptoms were not clear-cut.Conclusions:The promise of soy isoflavones reducing chronic disease risk seems to be non-uniform, with the most conclusive benefits occurring in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, but other organ systems, such as skeletal and reproductive tissues, may also benefit from the consumption of soy and soy-derived products.