Maria Daniel Vaz de Almeida

University of Porto | UP · Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences (FCNAUP)

Malnutrition is widespread among older adults, and its determinants may differ between countries. We compared Portuguese and Turkish non-institutionalized older adults regarding nutritional status, sociodemographic, health and anthropometric characteristics and studied the relationships between nutritional status and those characteristics. This cro...

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between sarcopenia and calf and neck circumferences. One hundred seventy-seven community-dwelling elderly individuals (over 65 years old) were recruited. A questionnaire was applied via face-to-face interview and the MNA-SF was used to assess nutritional status. In addition, some anthropometri...

Background & Aims The aging process has physiological, psychological and social implications that interfere with food choice. This work aims to identify factors influencing food choice among community-living older adults and their relationship with social characteristics, health status and nutritional risk. Methods Four hundred fifty-nine older ad...

Background & Aims The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is the most used tool to assess malnutrition and/or its risk among older adults. Its Screening section was proposed as a short form (MNA-SF) but studies comparing the two forms present controversial results. Our main aims were to study the agreement between MNA-SF and its full form (MNA-FF) am...

INTRODUCTION: Labelling is an important tool for food and nutrition professionals since it provides information on food safety and nutrition. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to analyse the differences in food and nutrition professionals’ opinions regarding nutrition labelling on prepacked foods. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study was conducted, using a...

Background & Aims Food-related quality of life (FRQoL) assesses the specific impact of diet, eating behaviors, and food-related anxiety on a person’s Health-related quality of life. The food serves a set of purposes that go beyond supplying the basic physiological needs, it also has a hedonic and social dimension. In addition, the relationship betw...

Introdução e objetivos: As doenças crónicas, como as doenças cardiovasculares, obesidade e diabetes, são as principais causas de morte e incapacidade no mundo. O estudo dos fatores que contribuem para prevenir e minimizar as consequências de doenças crónicas é importante para o planeamento de intervenções clínicas e comunitárias. O objetivo deste t...

Near 20% of the Portuguese population is aged 65 years or above, a value similar to most developed countries. This older adult population also suffers from obesity and obesity-related pathologies. The environment encompasses a set of obesity determinants and knowing the associations between the environment and obesity may help health professionals...

Malnutrition is associated to a progressive decline in health, reduced physical and cognitive functional status and mortality. However, the malnutrition prevalence differs across countries. Previous studies reported 19% of malnourished elderly in Turkey and 1.3% in Portugal. We aimed to compare the nutritional status between between Portuguese and...

Malnutrition is a serious health problem among older adults. The Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) is the most used tool to assess malnutrition among older adults. It was proposed that the Screening section could be used as a short form of the MNA (MNA-SF), but the study of the two forms show a wide range of agreement (71.8 to 93.3% and Cohen's kap...

Information about nutrition and health are important to empower older adults on what their food choice is concerned. The present research aims to study the perceived need and preferences regarding sources of information about healthy eating among older adults and to relate them with sociodemographic characteristics. A sample of 602 older adults (≥6...

Food is not only a determinant of health status but also, in a holistic perspective, of quality of life. The study of quality of life (in general, and Food-Related Quality of Life (FRQoL) in particular) among non-clinical populations of older adults can be especially important, as it allows to understand specific features of healthy aging and to ou...

In Portugal people aged 65 and above will be the populational group with the highest growth rate of the next decades. Healthy ageing constitutes a challenge as not only the number of years lived are essential, but also the quality of life becomes a priority. The aim of this study was to understand the relationship between health self-perception (HS...

A área do conhecimento da Ciência da Nutrição é bastante ampla, multidisciplinar e interprofissional. Bases bioquímicas e fisiológicas da nutrição: nas diferentes fases da vida, na saúde e na doença se dirige aos interessados em obter, em uma única obra, material que contemple não somente aspectos básicos e informações científicas clássicas, como t...

Estudos mostram que os consumidores veem os alimentos com uma forma de melhorar a sua saúde e bem-estar, ao que a indústria alimentar responde proactivamente através de novos produtos que correspondam a estas expectativas. Assim, é importante conhecer os fatores que influenciam a escolha alimentar dos consumidores para o desenvolvimento de produtos...

Waist circumference (WC) has been associated with cardiometabolic diseases. We aim to develop WC references for age and gender in youngsters in Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal (RAM). A cross-sectional study was developed in two phases. Between May 2004 and May 2005 (in 1st cycle schools) and between October 2007 and June 2009 (in 2nd and 3rd...

Introdução A redução das taxas de mortalidade em idades mais avançadas tem levado a um aumento crescente da esperança média de vida. Deste modo, nas últimas décadas as relações entre saúde, alimentação e qualidade de vida têm sido alvo de crescente interesse. Objetivos Este trabalho pretende estudar a relação entre a presença de patologias e a perc...

The knowledge of the food pattern of a population is crucial for establishing nutritional and epidemiological profiles, as well as for controlling the market of foodstuffs and to help in the management of stock of staple foods. This study aims to evaluate food consumption and its association with the underlying motives for consumers' food choices,...

Introduction (100): Aging is related to physiological and non-physiological changes which increase older adults’ susceptibility to malnutrition. Such changes may be social (e.g. inability to prepare and cook meals), psychological (e.g. anxiety, depression or bereavement) or clinical factors (e.g. comorbidities or taking several medications (Batsis...

Introduction (100): Aging is a natural process, with both physical and psychological implications. Thus, older adults may present limitations in relation to food selection and ingestion, usually due to reduced physical and motor capacity. These problems may result in an unbalanced diet that can cause, on the one hand, malnutrition, and in the other...

Introdução e objetivos: A malnutrição pode ocorrer por excesso de aporte de energia e nutrientes (resultando em problemas como obesidade) ou por carência (resultando em desnutrição) sendo responsável por várias comorbidades como doenças cardiovasculares, que reduzem a qualidade de vida e aumentam os custos de saúde. O objetivo deste trabalho é rela...

Food is one of the determinants with the greatest impact on health. Recognition of this reality should lead to a definition of policies geared to specific health problems and to the adoption of intervention strategies that favor an integrated approach aimed at improving the health of the population, the quality of care provided and the efficiency i...

Introdução e objetivo(s): A redução das taxas de mortalidade em idades mais avançadas tem levado a um aumento crescente da esperança média de vida. Se por um lado é positivo viver mais anos, é ainda mais importante viver com qualidade de vida, ou seja, de boa saúde física e mental. Entre os fatores que influenciam a qualidade de vida está a aliment...

University is a critical period that may influence students eating behaviours. Several changes in food patterns have been described among university students. Therefore, the aim of this study was describe the main determinants of food choice among university students and to investigate their relation with BMI and self-perceived health. Food choice...

Information about nutrition and health are important to empower older adults on what their food choice is concerned. To study the perceived need for information and preferences towards sources of information about food among older adults and to relate these with sociodemographic characteristics. A representative sample of 602 older adults (≥ 65 y...

The study of factors influencing food choice amongst elderly populations can be used to promote healthy aging therefore contributing to minimize the consequences of disease associated with the ageing process. To identify factors influencing food choice and health status of older adults living in the community. Methodology Participants were aged on...

Information about nutrition and health are important to empower older adults on what their food choice is concerned. To study the perceived need for information and preferences towards sources of information about food among older adults and to relate these with sociodemographic characteristics. Methodology Most respondents (87.5%) showed to be int...

Introduction: The study of factors influencing food choice amongst elderly populations can be used to promote healthy aging therefore contributing to minimize the consequences of disease associated with the ageing process.. Objectives: To identify factors influencing food choice and health status of older adults living in the community. Methods: A...

Objective: To examine trends in food availability for Portugal during the last 4 decades (1974-2011) and analyze such changes in accordance with the nutritional transition theory. Methods: Food balance sheets from Portugal from 1974 to 2011 were analyzed for potential trends by linear regression to study the availability of protein, fat, carbohy...

A população mundial tem envelhecido rapidamente, com implicações a nível das sociedades, nomeadamente dos seus sistemas de saúde. O objetivo deste trabalho é caracterizar o estado de saúde de idosos não institucionalizados. Selecionou-se uma amostra representativa de idosos com 65 anos ou mais a viver em comunidade no concelho de Vila Nova de Gaia...

The Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) is a 36-item instrument assessing the importance of a number of factors that influence food choice: “health”, “sensory appeal”, “price”, “convenience”, “mood”, “natural content”, “weight control”, “familiarity” and “ethical concern”. The FCQ already counts with applications from over 40 countries and its translat...

Background/Aims: Personalised nutrition has potential to revolutionise dietary health promotion if accepted by the general public. We studied trust and preferences regarding personalised nutrition services, how they influence intention to adopt these services, and cultural and social differences therein. Methods: A total of 9381 participants were q...

The Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) is a multidimensional measure that simultaneously evaluates the various factors that have an impact on daily food choices. Since its development by Steptoe et al. (1995), this tool has already been used in several countries, but had not yet been applied and validated in an African country. This study aims to eval...

Introdução: A insegurança alimentar (IA) ocorre quando a disponibilidade de alimentos seguros e nutricionalmente adequados, ou a capacidade de adquirir estes alimentos de formas socialmente aceitáveis, é limitada ou incerta (Burity, 2010). Vários estudos reportam que a IA está associada a piores estados de saúde e menor capacidade de trabalho e apr...

Have you ever wondered what makes the Mediterranean diet so healthy? Do you enjoy olives, tomatoes, Chouriço and Mozzarella, basil, rosemary and oregano, grapes, figs, and dates; and would you like to learn more about the substances they contain? Then this book is for you! The Mediterranean diet, designated as an 'Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hu...

Milk is the first food of mammals, and breastfeeding has recently been found to be determinant in building up a healthy microbiome. A healthy adult is thought to carry about 2 kg of bacteria in the intestine, affecting immunity, weight balance and even mood. Small ruminants are well adapted to the mountains of the Mediterranean region and are easil...

Typical drinks of the Mediterranean diet, associated with convivial meals, are wine (in non-Muslim countries)—consumed during main courses—and infusions and coffee, generally consumed after the meal. Many herbal infusions of wild weeds are often related to folk medicine. None of these drinks provide major nutrients in significant amounts, and their...

This food category is predominant in a Mediterranean diet pattern. The term ‘vegetable food’ includes a highly heterogeneous variety of food items, such as leafy vegetables and analogues, tomato, pumpkin, wild leaf vegetables and weeds, aromatic plants and spices, starchy foods, pulses, fresh fruits and nuts. The nutrient composition taken from two...

This chapter describes the Mediterranean food pattern as rich in vegetables and characterised by a high consumption of olive oil and a reduced intake of meat and dairy products, particularly liquid milk. The so-called good Mediterranean diet corresponds to the dietary pattern found in the olive-growing areas of the Mediterranean region. The concept...

Olive orchards shape the Mediterranean landscape. Cultivars with larger fruits and lower oil content are selected to produce table olives, whereas cultivars with smaller fruit and higher oil content are selected for olive oil production. Olive oil is thus obtained by gently squeezing a fruit at the environmental temperature, as opposed to most edib...

The Mediterranean basin and the Iberian Peninsula constitute a vast geographical area where three continents intercept. Ancient civilizations characterised by cultural and religious diversity flourished in the region. The Mediterranean diet (MD) represents unity in diversity, integrating food habits with cultural habits (such as the convivial aspec...

This chapter discusses the desirable features of the Mediterranean diet (MD) and the current evolution of food habits in the countries forming the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization MD Representative List. Several dietary indexes that measure adherence to the MD are presented and discussed for the countries of the area,...

The Mediterranean dietary pattern is based on a reduced intake of foods of animal origin, which provide essential amino acids (those the human body is unable to synthesize), as well as certain minerals and vitamins that are difficult to find or have a reduced bioavailability in vegetables. In this regard, fish is preferable to meat as a protein sou...

Due to differences in metabolism and body composition, older people are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol consumption compared to younger age groups. Physiological changes from the aging process may mediate the effects of alcohol in the health and well-being of elderly people. There is a close relationship between the health, social, econo...

Contexto: A Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) define Qualidade de Vida (QV) como a perceção do indivíduo sobre a sua posição na vida, dentro do contexto dos sistemas de cultura e valores nos quais está inserido e em relação aos seus objetivos, expectativas, padrões e preocupações. A QV é um constructo importante nas áreas da saúde, psicologia e ec...

É fundamental conhecer hábitos alimentares e nutricionais de uma população, para poder intervir na promoção da saúde da mesma. Com este estudo epidemiológico transversal representativo da população portuguesa adulta (dados da SPCNA), pretendeu‐se conhecer o padrão nutricional de ingestão quer energética quer em macronutrientes. Por entrevista indiv...

A Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) define Qualidade de Vida (QV) como a perceção do indivíduo sobre a sua posição na vida, dentro do contexto dos sistemas de cultura e valores nos quais está inserido e em relação aos seus objetivos, expectativas, padrões e preocupações. A QV é um constructo importante nas áreas da saúde, psicologia e economia, fo...

Social Cognitive Theory has been used to explain findings derived from focus group discussions (N = 4) held in the United Kingdom with the aim of informing best practice in personalised nutrition. Positive expectancies included weight loss and negative expectancies surrounded on-line security. Monitoring and feedback were crucial to goal setting an...

The aims of this study were: (i) to estimate the dependency between BMI and waist:height ratio (WHtR) as measures of general and abdominal adiposity, and (ii) to evaluate the influence of socio-demographic factors on both measures and on their dependency in risk classification. Data from a cross-sectional study conducted in 2009 among a representat...

The notion of educating the public through generic healthy eating messages has pervaded dietary health promotion efforts over the years and continues to do so through various media, despite little evidence for any enduring impact upon eating behaviour. There is growing evidence, however, that tailored interventions such as those that could be deliv...

Personalised nutrition is a relatively new field of research aiming to provide personalised dietary advice, which can be based on an individual’s genotype, phenotype, dietary and lifestyle data. According to this approach, dietary recommendations are tailored to meet personal nutritional needs. The main advantage is that genetic differences between...

Objective: To describe fruit and vegetable intake of 11-year-old children in ten European countries and compare it with current dietary guidelines. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Intake was assessed using a previously validated questionnaire containing a pre-coded 24 h recall and an FFQ which were completed in the classroom. Portion sizes were...

To identify dietary availability and its time trends in elderly Portuguese households. A set of four cross-sectional studies based on the Household Budget Surveys was used. The dietary data were described using the daily per capita availability of food and beverages, energy and selected nutrients (macronutrients, different lipid fractions and simpl...

Family meals have been negatively associated with overweight in children, while television (TV) viewing during meals has been associated with a poorer diet. The aim of the present study was to assess the association of eating family breakfast and dinner, and having a TV on during dinner, with overweight in nine European countries and whether these...

Objective: To identify diet quality time trends in Portuguese elderly households and the association of diet quality with sociodemographic characteristics. Design: Set of four cross-sectional studies. Setting: Portuguese population. Subjects: Nationally representative samples from Household Budget Surveys (1989-1990, 1994-1995, 2000-2001 and...

Objective To analyze the simultaneous effects of sociodemographic variables and time on each food group contribution to total Portuguese elderly household food availability. Design Four cross sectional Portuguese Household Budget Surveys were used. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), using a general linear model (GLM), was applied to anal...

To examine which factors act as mediators between parental educational level and children's fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake in ten European countries. Cross-sectional data were collected in ten European countries participating in the PRO GREENS project (2009). Schoolchildren completed a validated FFQ about their daily F&V intake and filled in a qu...

Background/objectives: The elderly constitute a population group with a high prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases and high risk of malnutrition. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated to nutritional risk in free-living European elderly. Subjects/methods: The sample included 644 European citizens, free living in the c...

Background: Fruit and vegetable intake is crucial in health promotion and disease prevention. Inadequate intake is found among adult populations worldwide. Aims: To assess fruit and vegetable intake among Portuguese mothers and to examine its association with sociodemographic determinants. Methods: A national cross-sectional survey was perform...

Background: Growth trends have never been studied in adolescents of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal. Aims: To analyse growth trends in weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) and triceps skin-fold thickness (TST) of adolescents (10-17 years old) of the Autonomous Region of Ma...

O envelhecimento da população é uma das características demográficas mais significativas da segunda metade do século XX e do início deste século. Conhecer o estado ponderal e a relação com a alimentação/nutrição pode contribuir para melhorar a qualidade de vida. Inquiriram-se 711 idosos, com idade igual ou superior a 65 anos, participantes do estud...

This paper’s aim is to assess vegetable soup intake and its contribution to total vegetable intake among mothers of Portuguese schoolchildren as well as to examine the association between relative vegetable soup intake and sociodemographic characteristics. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional survey was carried out in Portugal as part of...

It is important to understand the psycho-social context of obesity to inform prevention and treatment of obesity at both the individual and public health level. Representative samples of middle-aged adults aged ≥43 years were recruited in Great Britain (GB) (n = 1182) and Portugal (n = 540) and interviewed to explore associations between body mass...

European consumer willingness to purchase fat-modified foods was surveyed as part of the LIPGENE study. Representative samples of consumers (n = 5967) were interviewed in six countries (France, Great Britain, Portugal, Germany, Poland, and Italy). Of these 2025 were considered as “reporters” who indicated having at least one of: high cholesterol; h...

Food in later life has been the focus of research in the past decades, especially in what refers to nutritional status and food consumption. Although biological, psychological, personal and economic determinants in food choice are well known, the relationship with the cultural environment has been less explored. Cultural rules determine daily and w...

The aim of this research was to better understand the psycho-social context of obesity to inform prevention and treatment of obesity at both the individual and public health level. A representative sample of middle-aged adults aged 40+ years recruited in Great Britain (GB) (N=1182) underwent interview assisted survey to explore associations between...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between parenting styles and own fruit and vegetable consumption among Portuguese mothers of school children. A cross-sectional study was performed in Portugal as part of the Pro Children cross-sectional European survey. Portuguese mothers (n 1601) of 11-13-year-old school children were i...

The aims of this research were to evaluate BMI categories, discrepancies between measured and reported BMI, health status' perception and factors perceived as having the greatest importance in health, as well as to relate them with potencial determinants among the Portuguese adult population. Data from the study "Por-tuguese Population's Food Habit...

The aims of this research were to evaluate BMI categories, discrepancies between measured and reported BMI, health status' perception and factors perceived as having the greatest importance in health, as well as to relate them with potencial determinants among the Portuguese adult population. Data from the study " Por-tuguese Population's Food Habi...