No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Most Americans Eat Much Less than Recommended Amounts of Fruits and Vegetables
Abstract
To estimate the proportions of the population meeting recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake, we first estimated the usual intake distributions of total fruits and vegetables and then compared the results to the 5 A Day recommendation and to the recommendations for fruits and vegetables combined, found in the new US Department of Agriculture food guide, MyPyramid.
The primary dataset was created from one 24-hour recall from each of 8,070 respondents in the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Variances were estimated using one or two 24-hour recalls from 14,963 respondents in the 1994-1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals.
The statistical method developed at Iowa State University was used for estimating distributions of usual intake of dietary components that are consumed daily. It was modified to allow the adjustment of heterogeneous within-person variances using an external estimate of heterogeneity.
In 1999-2000, only 40% of Americans ate an average of five or more (1/2)-cup servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The proportions of sex-age groups meeting the new US Department of Agriculture recommendations ranged from 0.7% of boys aged 14 to 18 years, whose combined recommendation is 5 cups, to 48% of children aged 2 to 3 years, whose combined recommendation is 2 cups.
Americans need to consume more fruits and vegetables, especially dark green and orange vegetables and legumes. Nutritionists must help consumers realize that, for everyone older than age 3 years, the new recommendations for fruit and vegetable intakes are greater than the familiar five servings a day.
... Cooked dry beans are very low in sodium, and rinsing canned beans reduce sodium content by approximately 40%. [13][14][15] Plasma electrolyte concentrations are among the most commonly used laboratory tests by clinicians for the assessment of a patient's clinical conditions and disease status. [16] In physiology, the primary ions of the electrolytes are sodium (Na + ), potassium (K + ), calcium (Ca 2+ ), chloride (Cl − ), hydrogen phosphate (HPO 4 2-), and hydrogen carbonate (HCO 3 − ). ...
... [16] In physiology, the primary ions of the electrolytes are sodium (Na + ), potassium (K + ), calcium (Ca 2+ ), chloride (Cl − ), hydrogen phosphate (HPO 4 2-), and hydrogen carbonate (HCO 3 − ). [15] Electrolyte disorders are commonly encountered in the patient with cancer. In most cases, these disorders are associated with etiologies seen in all types of patients and are not specifically linked to the malignancy or its therapy, for example, diuretic-induced hyponatremia or hypokalemia. ...
... Thus, proper recognition and treatment of these disorders is important in the overall care of the patient with cancer. [15,18] Likewise, the assessment of kidney functions tests (creatinine) plays a key role in the diagnosis and management of cancer diseases as any deterioration of renal function results in elevations of these parameters in the blood. Elevated creatinine levels in the blood signify impaired kidney function or kidney disease parenthesis. ...
Aim and Objectives: It is a known fact that, consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in potassium and other ions is a critical component of the special diet approach to controlling hypertension and decrease cardiovascular disease. Less well documented are the effects of under-utilized wild beans which may help reduce the risk of metabolic diseases instigated by high fats diet. Hence this present study is to compare the biochemical effectiveness of some selected wild and edible beans on rats fed with high-fat diets. Results and Conclusion: Lipid profile result carried out in the blood showed high density lipoprotein to be significantly (P ≤ 0,05) high in Pakala group with a value of 2.2±0.02 compare to other groups. While for low density lipoprotein (LDL); rats with Otili in their diet had the highest LDL with a value of 0.45±0.01. However, the group of rats fed with Feregede had the least cholesterol level compared to other groups of rats fed with respective wild beans and the negative control group. There, was a significant difference in the phosphorus level between the wild and edible beans and pronounced impact of High-fat diet in rats fed with Feregede compared to other rats fed with other wild beans.
... It has been observed that consumers favor EDNP products more than LFSS products (Wilson et al., 2006). In the USA, EDNP products increasingly dominate the national diet (Guenther et al., 2006;Krebs-Smith et al., 2010). ...
... FH2 Kant (2000), Guenther et al. (2006), Krebs-Smith et al. Note(s): SD 5 strongly disagree; D 5 disagree; N 5 neither agree nor disagree; A 5 agree and SA 5 strongly agree Table A1. ...
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to determine the antecedents of obesity among the younger generation of Indians (Generation Y) from a psychological and lifestyle consumer perspective. The study also investigates the moderating role of demography on the body mass index (BMI) of Indian youths.
Design/methodology/approach
The study initially develops a conceptual model, stemming from an extensive theoretical research, and subsequently validates this using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique with a sample size of 1,242 Indian youths.
Findings
The study concludes that consumers' food habits (FH) and physical activity (PA) positively impact consumers' physical health (PH), which influences their BMI levels (BLs). Anxiety (AX), depression (DE), stress (ST), peer pressure (PP) and work pressure (WP) impact individuals' mental health (MH), which also influences their BLs. Finally, there is a significant moderating impact of demographic factors, such as age (AG), gender (GE) and income levels (ILs) on the relationship between individuals' physical and MH and individuals' BLs.
Research limitations/implications
This study proposes a new model which highlights the issue of youth consumer obesity from the psychological and lifestyle perspectives. The model is effective as it has a high explanative power of 73%. The study investigates consumer obesity from emerging market like India perspective, but the study does not examine consumer food consumption behavior and obesity from developed market perspective.
Practical implications
Youth obesity could be considered a global pandemic, and obesity rates among the Indian youth are also increasing. This study provides valuable inputs and understanding of consumer markets to policy makers, consumer protection institutions, organizations related to the food and beverage industry, healthcare workers and consumers themselves regarding the antecedents of youth obesity (BL) in developing and emerging markets.
Originality/value
The study adds value to the body of literature related to consumer obesity, FH, consumer psychology and lifestyle through findings that are new in terms of findings' specificity, contextual focus and explication. Moreover, the study extends the cognitive theory of DE and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The research effectively offers significant theoretical and practicable market knowledge to both scholars and marketing practitioners, as well as policy makers and institutions dealing with youth obesity, particularly in emerging markets.
... The vegetable daily intake amount was taken according to Guenther [36], 300g per person. ...
... The estimated daily intake of PTEs from human beings for five sorts of vegetables showed in Table 8. The values of EDI from five types of vegetables were calculated by assuming one person with an average body weight of 70 kg consumes approximately 300 g of vegetables per day [36]. Calculation of average PTEs intake from different vegetables can be realistic if we take into account consumption in different periods of the year, ages of the people, diet, and living standards. ...
Vegetable cultivation areas in the Anadrinia region may have higher than background concentrations of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) from contaminated sources including anthropogenic activity and lithologic composition. The purpose of the present study was to assess PTEs concentrations in soil and vegetables and their impact on human health. In this study, 50 soils and 5 vegetables were sampled from the studied area. PTEs (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) were measured by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) after digestion in microwave system. PTEs in soil and vegetables were assessed and compared to international data (Dutch List and WHO/FAO 2011), and their toxicological risk was estimated using transfer factor (TF), estimated daily intake (EDI), and hazard quotients (HQ). The average values of As, Cd, Co, Fe, and Mn in soil were 44.96, 0.324, 16.34, 13,172, and 765.1 mg/kg, and Cr, Ni, and Pb in vegetables were 21.02, 17.11, and 4.982 mg/kg. TF values were less than 1, suggesting low bioaccumulation. EDI values of Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were 6.29, 6.23, 2.09, and 16.6 mg/kg, higher than international guidelines. HQ values of Pb, Ni, and Cu were 6.22, 3.66, and 1.72, higher than maximum tolerable value 1 indicating significant health risk. Some of the analyzed elements in soil and vegetable exceeded permissible limits to Dutch List and WHO/FAO 2011, respectively. From a health point of view, this study revealed vegetable contamination, recommends periodic monitoring.
... Promoting children's healthy eating is a key public health priority to prevent chronic diseases (e.g., obesity, diabetes) and maintain health, well-being, and school performance [1][2][3]. To help achieve this public health goal, international organizations have been establishing eating guidelines for children, advocating the intake of five pieces of fruits and vegetables (F/V) per day and the limitation of fat and sugar consumption [1,2]. ...
... To help achieve this public health goal, international organizations have been establishing eating guidelines for children, advocating the intake of five pieces of fruits and vegetables (F/V) per day and the limitation of fat and sugar consumption [1,2]. However, there is extensive evidence that children are not meeting the recommendations and are instead consuming large amounts of energy-dense foods, fat, and sugar, and low amounts of F/V [1,[3][4][5]. Particularly, it seems that boys have unhealthier diets when compared with girls [5][6][7]. ...
The promotion of children’s healthy eating is a key public health priority. However, children’s food consumption is a complex phenomenon with several contributing factors, and there is a call to continue developing comprehensive models with several variables acting simultaneously. The present study aimed to examine the role different motivational-related variables (e.g., self-regulation, self-efficacy) may play in children’s consumption of healthy and unhealthy foods. To address this goal, data were collected in a sample of 242 fifth and sixth graders with access to both healthy and unhealthy foods at home. A path model was conducted to analyze networks of relationships between motivational-related variables and children’s healthy and unhealthy eating. The gender variable was included as a covariate to control its effect. The data showed that self-regulation for healthy eating mediates the relationship between the predictor variables (i.e., knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy) and the type of food consumption (healthy and unhealthy). Current data contribute to understanding the complexity behind food consumption by providing a comprehensive model with motivational-related factors associated with both healthy and unhealthy eating. The present findings are likely to help inform the development of early preventive interventions focused on the promotion of healthy eating.
... Fruits and vegetables (FV) are important for the prevention of many chronic diseases and maintaining a healthy weight, yet only 9 % of US adults in 2017 consumed the recommended five daily cups (1·5-2 cups of fruits and 2-3 cups of vegetables), including low-income older adults (1,2) . Inadequate FV consumption is associated with increased risk of CVD (3) , type 2 diabetes (4) , certain cancers (5) , obesity (6,7) and depression (8) . ...
... FOTM's 50 % discount model is a larger financial incentive than other pricing programmes, including Healthy Incentives Pilot, which may contribute to the positive effects (34) . Increasing FV consumption among SNAP customers is particularly important given the evidence that households enrolled in SNAP are less likely to consume the recommended amount of FV (20,45) , including low-income older adults (2) . The SNAP incentive at FOTM is specifically designed to address this disparity by lowering the cost of fresh FV. ...
Objective:
Mobile produce markets (MPM) offering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) incentive programmes have the potential to provide accessible and affordable fruits and vegetables (FV) to populations at risk of food insecurity. The objective of this study is to characterise the customer base of an MPM and describe their participation at twelve market sites serving low-income seniors.
Design:
In 2018, customers from an MPM in Rhode Island (RI) participated in a cross-sectional survey (n 330; 68 % response rate), which measured dietary patterns, food security and food shopping behaviours. We compared the shopping habits and market experiences of customers who currently received SNAP benefits with those who did not currently receive SNAP benefits.
Setting:
An MPM in RI which offers a 50 % discount for FV purchased with SNAP benefits.
Participants:
This study describes current market customers at twelve market sites serving low-income seniors.
Results:
Market customers were mostly low-income, female, over the age of 50 years and Hispanic/Latino. Most customers received SNAP benefits, and almost half were food insecure. In addition, three quarters of SNAP customers reported their SNAP benefits last longer since shopping at the markets. Mixed logistic regression models indicated that SNAP customers were more likely to report buying and eating more FV than non-SNAP customers.
Conclusions:
MPM are critical resources of affordable produce and have been successful in improving access to FV among individuals of low socio-economic status in RI. This case study can inform policy and programme recommendations for MPM and SNAP incentive programmes.
... Additionally, research shows that it is necessary to combine the increased consumption of fruit and vegetables with a reduction in the consumption of unhealthy foods (e.g., foods high in fat, added sugars) (Rolls et al., 2004;Tohill, 2005). However, children's consumption patterns do not seem to follow the recommendations (Guenther et al, 2006;Marchiori & Papies, 2014;. This may help explain the childhood overweightness and obesity increasing rates (COSI, 2019;WHO, 2017). ...
... Complimentary Contributor Copy know how to make them (e.g., how to plan). Hence, it comes as no surprise that, although the amount of investment in intervention to promote knowledge about healthy eating, the consumption of vegetables and fruits remains under the average of five servings a day recommendation (Guenther et al., 2006;Kim et al., 2014WHO & FAO, 2003. Some interventions focusing on child related factors of healthy eating are starting to include aspects other than the promotion of knowledge about healthy eating. ...
Throughout our lifes we are exposed to different stressors that can make us more vulnerable to suffer from mental disorders, such as depression or anxiety. However, resilient individuals are characterized by their ability to achieve a positive outcome when they are in the face of adversity. Interestingly, both clinical and pre-clinical studies have provided us information about different behavioural interventions that can make us more resilient to challenging situations. These include the aerobic exercise which, at moderate doses, has been shown to be beneficial at all stages of life by promoting a range of physiological and neuroplastic adaptations that reduce the anxiety response. Due to the benefit effects of the exercise on the cognition and brain functionality, the exercise programs have been proposed as a promoter of resilience and neuroplasticity. How to understand the relationship between exercise, neuroplasticity and resilience is one of the objective that will be developed in our chapter.
Thus, we will summarize the potential effect of moderate exercise to induce a more successful response toward stressful situations, as well as to describe its neurobiological underlying basis (morphofunctional modifications in HPA axe, neurogenesis, specific neuron types, glia, neurotrophic factors, among others) in different periods of life (adolescence, adulthood and old age).
... O consumo de frutas e hortaliças por crianças gira em torno de 283 g/dia (MURILLO-CASTILLO et al., 2020), sendo maior entre as meninas (BOELENS et al., 2022). Entretanto, essa ingestão está bem aquém da recomendação atual que é de 400 g/dia (GUENTHER et al., 2006). O baixo consumo desses alimentos se deve, especialmente, à presença de substâncias como antocianinas e ácidos fenólicos hidroxicinâmicos, que conferem sabor amargo (MBONDO et al., 2018), reduzindo a aceitação sensorial. ...
Objetivou-se avaliar o nível de neofobia alimentar das crianças e o efeito de estratégias educativas sobre a percepção de saudabilidade e aceitabilidade de produtos alimentícios (panqueca e torta) adicionados de nabo. Participaram 180 crianças, organizadas em três grupos: Grupo 1 (G1), sem nenhuma estratégia educativa; Grupo 2 (G2), estratégia educativa com uso de vídeo; Grupo 3 (G3), estratégia educativa de narração de história. As crianças preencheram questionários de neofobia alimentar e realizaram análise sensorial dos produtos alimentícios, que também foram avaliados à composição físico-química. Os três grupos apresentaram elevado nível de neofobia alimentar (94,3%), sem influência do sexo. As estratégias educativas melhoraram a percepção de saudabilidade, porém tiveram pouca influência na avaliação dos atributos sensoriais. Os participantes do G3 apresentaram maior aceitação global e índice de aceitabilidade (IA) para os produtos. As preparações foram bem aceitas pelas crianças (IA > 70%), além de serem classificados com bom perfil nutricional. Conclui-se que crianças em idade escolar apresentam elevado nível de neofobia alimentar. Porém, estratégias educativas como o vídeo e história são efetivas para aumentar a percepção de saudabilidade de produtos adicionados de nabo entre crianças. A adição da hortaliça em produtos alimentícios melhora o perfil nutricional, sendo favorável ao consumo.
... Many consumers report basing food decisions on health, environment, and cost attributes (17)(18)(19), though different segments of consumers may place different relative values on these outcomes (20). Despite offering numerous, diverse benefits, consumption of pulses in the U.S. is significantly below recommended levels and, in fact, has been decreasing in recent years (21,22). Barriers to pulse consumption include a lack of knowledge about/belief in the benefits that pulses offer; perceived negative impacts, such as flatulence; and a relatively small footprint of pulse-based products, defined as products with a pulse as one of the first three ingredients, in a crowded retail environment (23)(24)(25)(26). ...
Introduction
Multiple barriers exist to healthy and environmentally sustainable food choices. Limited consumer understanding of the health and environmental implications of food choices complicates their abilities to make choices that lead to desired outcomes. The complexity of the retail environment itself may crowd out less immediate motivations to address health or environment. Even if consumers understand general impacts of food choices on health and environmental outcomes, there may be non-negligible time and search costs to identifying the products that meet consumers’ needs. In many food categories, the foods containing attributes that help achieve health and sustainability outcomes may represent a small percentage of available products. In this research, we examine the case of pulses—beans, chickpeas, lentils, and dry peas. Pulses are nutritious and have a low environmental impact. However, consumption of pulses in the US is quite low, which may be attributable to low consumer knowledge of pulse benefits, as well as difficulty of identifying pulse products in retail environments.
Methods
In this research, we examine the choice of pulse-based foods in three conditions: (1) a control condition, (2) a messaging condition communicating the health and environmental benefits of pulse products, and (3) a paired messaging condition with a choice environment intervention that allows respondents to choose to filter products to those that contain pulses. Participants selected a food item from each of six food categories.
Results
We find slight, but significant, increases in pulse choice in the messaging only condition relative to the control condition, but dramatic and highly significant increases when participants can filter the products to easily view pulse products. We also find evidence for knowledge being a barrier to healthy/sustainable food choice. Participants exposed to the messaging were more likely to view pulses as environmentally beneficial, and less likely to report that they did not know the health or environmental impacts of pulse foods.
Discussion
We find that paired messaging and filtering interventions significantly increase the choice of pulse-based foods, which offer both human health and sustainability benefits.
... Rates of obesity and diabetes are high on the Navajo Nation (Dabelea et al., 2014;Guenther et al., 2006;Nava et al., 2015;Will et al., 1997). Access to affordable, healthy food is limited (Kumar et al., 2016), food insecurity is common (Pardilla et al., 2014) and regular F&V 1 intake is low among both children and adults Ornelas et al., 2018;Sharma et al., 2009). ...
Objectives
As part of a group randomized trial of a school-based intervention promoting gardening and healthy eating, health behaviors of adult family members were evaluated. The COVID-19 pandemic hit the Navajo Nation in March 2020 and the ongoing Yéego! collaborative study allowed description of adult response to COVID as an ancillary objective.
Methods
Six elementary schools on the Navajo Nation in Arizona or New Mexico had been randomized to intervention or comparison group. One adult family member for each 3rd and 4th grade student completed surveys at baseline, nine-month and 21-month follow-up. Adult outcomes were fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake, obesogenic dietary index and gardening frequency. COVID-related measures were collected at 21-month follow-up. Differential changes and interactions were examined using repeated measures linear mixed models.
Results
Adult F&V intake increased significantly more in the intervention group than in the comparison group at nine months by 2.26 servings/day (95% CI: 0.45, 4.06). No other changes were associated with the intervention at nine or 21 months. At 21 months, in the subgroup with COVID concerns, the differential change in F&V intake was 2.02 (95% CI: 0.21, 3.84) servings/day. In cross-sectional analyses, only healthy eating measures varied by levels of COVID concerns, stress and resilience.
Conclusions
The child focused school-based intervention had some impact on adult family members, particularly their F&V intake, suggesting the reach of the intervention extended to students’ families. The impact on adult F&V intake persisted among those reporting COVID concerns. Findings have important implications for augmenting healthy eating interventions.
... 18 For individuals with hypertension, the new recommendations advocate consuming more than five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. 18,48 In our study, approximately 40% of the participants exhibited a high level of adherence to the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Various determinants were linked to the inclination to sufficiently consume fruits and vegetables, encompassing factors such as age, income, and the duration since the diagnosis of hypertension. ...
Aim
This study aimed to determine the current stage of change (SOG) toward seven healthy eating behaviors and two healthy lifestyle behaviors related to blood pressure (BP) control. The lifestyle behaviors included smoking Behavior and practicing regular exercise, while the dietary behaviors included the DASH diet guidelines.
Methods
A total of 1109 outpatients participated in this cross-sectional study that was conducted between 2021 and 2022 in Jordan. A staging algorithm assessed SOG for several BP control-related behaviors for diagnosed hypertension patients. Data were collected by a structured interview-based questionnaire.
Results
There was a high degree of maintenance toward consuming diets with high grains, fruit, vegetables, meat, and poultry, less saturated fat, and more low-fat dairy products. More than half of the participants were in the pre-action stage for quitting smoking, practicing physical exercise, and consuming sweets and added sugars. Significant associations were observed between the degree of maintenance for several behaviors (p < 0.01). Age, income, education level, disease duration, and nutrition consultation availability were the most related factors to the SOG of the studied behaviors (p < 0.01).
Conclusion
Patients with hypertension in Jordan are still in the pre-action stages for quitting smoking, practicing physical exercise, and consuming 5 servings of refined sweets and added sugars weekly. The current outcome suggests a need for nutritional counseling, education, and interventions to raise awareness of lifestyle factors influencing BP among hypertension patients.
... At follow-up, mean total foods consumed increased to 24.8 (6.3 fruits, 5.1 grains, 6.8 proteins, and 6.6 vegetables). This outcome is noteworthy given the documented nutritional deficiencies in the diets of typically eating children in the United States (Guenther et al., 2006;Krebs-Smith et al., 2010). This also has important implications for children with ASD who have limited diets severely lacking in nutrition. ...
Many children with autism spectrum disorder experience feeding difficulties that can lead to increased health risks (e.g., severe nutrition deficiencies, obesity-related illnesses) if left untreated. Intensive feeding programs that use behavior-analytic interventions have reported positive outcomes for treating challenging behavior associated with pediatric feeding disorders at discharge and up to 1 year post discharge. Whether these children achieve and maintain long-term goals is unknown. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate outcomes of behavior-analytic intervention for pediatric feeding disorders among children with and without autism spectrum disorder in an intensive feeding program post discharge. Caregivers of former patients reported on the positive and negative impact of the program and their child’s growth and diet variety at follow-up. 85% of caregivers reported the program had a positive impact. Increases in height-for-age z scores were significant from admission to discharge from the intensive program, and progress in growth and diet variety remained the same or improved for most children at follow-up. Results suggest that behavior-analytic intervention in an intensive feeding program produced positive short- and long-term outcomes for children and their families.
... Gilbert and Weiner, (2022), reported the PO4 and K from beans are not absorbed as well as the phosphorus and potassium from animal sources or phosphate and potassium additives. Also, the result of serum sodium agreement with Guenther et al., (2006) and Brick & Thompson, (2006) who reported that beans are very low in sodium. Foods rich in these nutrients, except for sodium, are fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, which aid in reducing production of inflammation markers and oxidative stress (Sahathevan et al., 2018). ...
Kidney diseases are a public health problem all over the world. From recent studies it has been found that a low-protein diet as part of diet therapy has beneficial effects that slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. So, this study was carried out to investigate the uric acid index of some animal protein (Beef, eggs, kidney) and plant protein (mushroom, yellow lentils, lupine) in rats with induced-acute renal failure (ARF). Forty rats were divided into 8 groups (n=5) in each group. The first group of rats was fed on basal diet. The other rats were injected with one dose of 50% glycerol (10 ml/kg B.Wt.) in their hind limbs to induce ARF, these rats were divided into 7 subgroups, as follows: Subgroup (1): Rats with ARF were fed on basal diet supplemented with 150 gm/kg casein as positive control group (+Ve). From subgroups (2 : 7) rats were fed on the basal diet supplemented with 150 gm/kg from dried beef, eggs, kidney, mushroom, yellow lentils, lupine, respectively for 4 weeks. The treated groups with either animal or plant proteins had a significant decrease (P<0.05) in the level of kidney functions as well as lowering the mean values of phosphorous, sodium and potassium. The level of serum albumin and total protein were significantly (P<0.05) increased as compared to the +ve control group. It could be concluded that a diet containing animal protein (beef, eggs, kidney) or plant protein (mushroom, yellow lentils, lupine) may be used as a part of diet therapy to slow the progression of kidney disease and improve the kidney functions.
... The 2015-2020 dietary guidelines for Americans of the US Department of Health and Human Services (2017) recommends F&Vs should comprise at least half of the total consumed foodthe guide recommends taking 1-2 cups of fruits and 1-3 cups of vegetables daily. However, most Americans ($90%) consume F&Vs far below the recommended amounts (Guenther et al., 2006). Moreover, low-income households' expenditure on F&Vs is significantly lower than that of families with higher incomes (Blisard et al., 2004). ...
Low‐income households and minority communities in the US are considered highly vulnerable to diet‐and nutrition‐related adverse health effects. Households' food‐related decisions may entail real or perceived tradeoffs among price, preference, access and availability, and other factors. We use a sample of low‐income households, mostly from African American communities, from the Nashville metropolitan area of Tennessee to assess fruit and vegetable purchasing behavior. We found that the vast majority of household shops for fruits and vegetables (F&Vs) less than two to three times per month. Using probit and nested logit models, we analyzed purchase decisions and investigated reasons and factors determining “not to buy” F&Vs by low‐income households.
... While the nutrient composition of whole fruit and fruit juice is very similar, whole fruit is considered by some to be superior to 100% fruit juice due to its higher fiber content and slower absorption in the gut [5]. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) suggest that children and adolescents generally fail to meet the DGA recommendations for total fruit consumption [6,7]. Although one analysis suggests that whole fruit intake has improved over time [8], the declining intakes of fruit juice over the last few decades may be responsible for the failure of most children to meet the current recommendations for total fruit consumption [9]. ...
Fruit juice consumption during childhood remains controversial. Here, we evaluated the association between preadolescent 100% fruit juice intake and later adolescent diet quality and body mass index (BMI). We used prospective data over 10 years from the National Growth and Health Study for 1921 black and white girls, ages 9–10 years at baseline, for analyses of diet quality, and 2165 girls for BMI analyses. Statistical analyses included repeated measures analysis of variance and logistic regression models. Girls who drank ≥1.0 cup/day of fruit juice in preadolescence consumed 0.44 cup/day more total fruit in later adolescence than non-juice-drinking girls (p < 0.0001). White and black girls who drank ≥1.25 cups/day in preadolescence were 2.62 (95% CI: 1.35–5.08) and 2.54 (1.27–5.07) times more likely, respectively, to meet the Dietary Guidelines for whole fruit by later adolescence than those with the lowest juice intakes. Further, fruit juice consumption was positively associated with diet quality scores. Overall, girls consuming ≥1.25 cups/day of juice had a BMI in late adolescence that was 1.7 kg/m2 lower than that of non-juice-drinking girls. In conclusion, early adolescent fruit juice intake was positively associated with subsequent whole fruit consumption, better diet quality, and lower BMI in later adolescence.
... Adequate fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is important for optimal health, with higher FV intake being associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease [1,2], diabetes [3,4], and some cancers [2,5]. Because it was found that Americans do not consume adequate amounts of FV [6,7]. Therefore, to evaluate the effectiveness of programs and policies designed to increase FV intake, there is need for objective, noninvasive FV intake measurement methods [8,9]. ...
Background:
Reflection spectroscopy, utilized by the Veggie Meter®, is a less expensive, non-invasive method to quantify skin carotenoids and is a valid approximation of FV intake. However, it is unknown to what degree Veggie Meter®-assessed skin carotenoid score change is responsive to changes in carotenoid intake.
Objective:
To evaluate Veggie Meter®-assessed skin carotenoid score response in a 6-week randomized controlled trial of a carotenoid-containing juice to determine if the Veggie Meter® can be used to detect nutritionally-relevant changes in carotenoid intake; and to compare skin and plasma carotenoid responses to the 6-week trial.
Design:
In this 6-week trial, participants (n = 162) who self-identified as one of four US racial/ethnic groups (25% Black, 25% Asian, 27% non-Hispanic White, 23% Hispanic) were randomized to a control group, receiving negligible carotenoids (177 mL apple juice/day), moderate-dose group, receiving 4 mg total carotenoids/day (177 mL orange-carrot juice/d), or high-dose group, receiving 8 mg total carotenoids/day (355 mL orange-carrot juice/d). Skin carotenoid score and plasma total carotenoid concentrations (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin) were assessed at baseline, three weeks, and six weeks (n=158 completed the trial). Repeated measures linear models were used to examine skin and plasma carotenoids over time and between groups.
Results:
At six weeks, participants in the high-dose and moderate-dose groups had significantly higher mean skin carotenoid scores (414.0 (standard deviation = 100.6), 369.7 (standard deviation = 100.3), respectively) compared to those in the control group (305.2 (100.5)). In the high dose group, there was a 42% change in skin carotenoids from baseline (mean = 290.4) to 6-week follow-up (increase of 123, 123/290 = 42.4%). There was a 61% change in the plasma carotenoids in the high dose group.
Conclusions:
The Veggie Meter® is sensitive to increases in daily carotenoid intake in diverse racial/ethnic groups over a 6-week period.
... Fruits and vegetables (FVs) are essential components of a healthy diet and can reduce risk for many chronic illnesses; [1,2] yet, most children do not consume the recommended number of servings of these foods [3][4][5]. This is concerning, as inadequate FV intake is linked to increased risk for cardiovascular disease, [1,2] and certain cancers [6]. ...
Background
Most children do not consume the recommended amount of fruit and vegetable (FV) servings. Changing the school food environment can be a cost-efficient, effective approach to improving children’s dietary quality. There is great popular support for school salad bars as a means to increase children’s FV intake within the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), yet empirical research is limited. Further, although FV consumption can facilitate healthy weight management if these foods replace high calorie items, there is a need to enhance understanding of salad bars’ influence on children’s diet quality and energy intake within the NSLP. This is particularly important to investigate in schools in communities characterized by high poverty, as students they serve are particularly likely to rely on school meals.
Methods
This report describes the design and rationale of a federally-funded investigation that uses validated methods to evaluate school salad bars. This district plans to install salad bars into 141 elementary schools over 5-years, facilitating the conduct of a waitlist control, cluster randomized controlled trial. Specifically, 12 pairs of matched schools will be randomly selected: half receiving a salad bar (Intervention) and half serving pre-portioned FVs only, standard under the NSLP (Control). Thus, groups will have different FV presentation methods; however, all schools will operate under a policy requiring students to take at least one FV serving. Schools will be matched on Title I status and percent of racial/ethnic minoritized students. Intake will be objectively assessed at lunch in each school pair, prior to (baseline), and 4–6 weeks after salad bars are installed (post), yielding ~ 14,160 lunch observations throughout the study duration. Cafeteria sales and NSLP participation data will be obtained to determine how salad bars impact revenues. Finally, implementation factors and cafeteria personnel’s perspectives will be assessed, to identify barriers and facilitators to salad bars use and inform sustainability efforts. Proposed methods and current status of this investigation due to COVID-19 are described.
Discussion
Results will have great potential to inform school nutrition policies and programs designed to improve dietary quality and reduce obesity.
Trial registration
Retrospectively registered (10/28/22) in clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05605483).
... Many Americans eat much less fruit and vegetables than recommended, especially dark green vegetables (Guenther, Dodd, Reedy, & Krebs-Smith, 2006). As a whole population, the U.S. population eats slightly less vegetables now than five years ago. ...
The goal of this study was to understand the relationship between food neophobia and bitterness in consumer liking. Fruit and vegetable consumption is necessary for elementary school children to build healthy habits. Free and reduced lunch programs (FRL) in schools provide nutritional opportunities to students. Bitterness sensitivity and food neophobia were examined as separate drivers of liking in acceptance testing (n=161, ages 6-12) from two local elementary schools (high and low %FRL). The food neophobia scale and the fruit and vegetable neophobia instrument (FNVI) were used to determine food neophobia. FNVI scores distinguished consumers in hierarchical cluster analysis of overall liking. FVNI scores correlated to texture liking and flavor liking in familiar and unfamiliar fruits and vegetables. Non-bitter sensitive participants unexpectedly exhibited more neophobia than bitter sensitive participants. Neophobic participants liked familiar products more than unfamiliar products. Bitter sensitive participants were less neophobic and preferred bitter vegetables
... However, according to a survey in a Brazilian population, approximately 60% and 45% of children consumed vegetables and fruits (five or more times a week), respectively [54]. Preschoolers in many countries do not consume enough fruits and vegetables, such as in America and European countries [55,56]. The characteristics of vegetables and fruits themselves, such as odor and taste, may potentially affect preschool children's liking for them [28]. ...
(1) Introduction: Screen time may influence preschoolers’ food consumption. However, there is limited evidence regarding preschoolers, especially in China. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between screen time and the consumption of vegetables, fruits, snacks, and sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs). (2) Methods: Participants (1567 caregivers) were recruited from six kindergartens in Hunan, China. Caregivers completed the questionnaire, which included the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and questions regarding their children’s daily screen time. (3) Results: The mean screen time of preschoolers was 1.36 ± 1.26 h, and the proportion of children who spent more than one hour on screens was 54.3% in the overall sample. Children with longer screen time consumed vegetables and fruits less frequently, while having a higher consumption of snacks and SSBs. After adjustment of sociodemographic confounders, children’s eating behaviors and parental feeding practices, the association of screen time with vegetables and SSBs still remained significant. (4) Conclusions: Screen time exposure needs to be monitored in preschool children, which was negatively associated with their consumption of vegetables and fruits, whereas it was positively associated with snacks and SSBs. Future research should focus more on the impact of screen time on children’s unhealthy behaviors and dietary patterns.
... Several studies have found that those living in higher-income neighborhoods tend to consume more vegetables, while people living in the most disadvantaged regions tend to consume considerably fewer vegetables than people living in the most advantaged areas [86]. Research from the U.S. indicates that those in low-income households are less likely to meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines for vegetable consumption [87]. Only Kocho and vegetables cover 55% of the daily intake in the low income group, whereas low (15%) in the high income group. ...
Low vegetable consumption correlates to an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, which are the leading causes of mortality worldwide. As a result, the purpose of this study was to consolidate existing information on the health benefits of vegetable consumption and their potential role in NCD prevention. Despite the increasing burden of NCDs, health systems and public health policies have mostly focused on infectious illness management, undernutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies. In addition, several nations have created a broad strategic effort for the prevention and management of NCDs and their related risk factors. However, in order to successfully and efficiently accomplish the strategic plan’s goals, a greater knowledge of the burden of dietary risk factors and their contribution to NCDs is necessary. Vegetables contain antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and notably antioxidant qualities, and they have been shown to help prevent and cure NCDs, cancer, and heart disease. Vegetables are the best providers of vitamin A, a nutrient that is essential for many metabolic processes in the body. In addition to being an antioxidant, veggies include folate and potassium, which are proven to prevent birth abnormalities, cancer, and heart disease.
... Children aged 2-4 years score 61 out of 100 on the USDA's healthy eating index ("HEI") [2]. Among children aged 2-3 years, 52% do not meet recommended daily consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) (2-3 cups), while among those aged 4-6 years, more than 90% of children do not meet FV consumption recommendations [3]. Children aged 3-5 years should be physically active for 3 h per day, which is equivalent to 15 min per hour [4]. ...
Childcare garden interventions may be an effective strategy to increase fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption and physical activity among young children. The objective of this paper is to describe the research design, protocol, outcome measures, and baseline characteristics of participants in the Childcare Outdoor Learning Environments as Active Food Systems (“COLEAFS”) study, a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) examining the effect of a garden intervention on outcomes related to diet and physical activity. Fifteen childcare centers in low-income areas were randomly assigned to intervention (to receive garden intervention in Year 1), waitlist control (to receive garden intervention in Year 2), and control group (no intervention). The garden intervention comprised six raised beds planted with warm-season vegetables and fruits, and a garden activity booklet presenting 12 gardening activities. FV knowledge and FV liking were measured using a tablet-enabled protocol. FV consumption was measured by weighing FV before and after a snack session. Physical activity was measured using Actigraph GT3x+ worn by children for three consecutive days while at the childcare center. Of the 543 eligible children from the 15 childcare centers, 250 children aged 3–5 years received parental consent, assented, and participated in baseline data collection. By employing an RCT to examine the effect of a garden intervention on diet and physical activity among young children attending childcare centers within low-income communities, this study offers compelling research design and methods, addresses a critical gap in the empirical literature, and is a step toward evidence-based regulations to promote early childhood healthy habits.
... These findings mirror previous research where perceived nutritional quality of the NSLP was identified as both a barrier and motivating factor for NSLP participation depending on the perception of the NSLP as "nutritious" or "not nutritious" (Griffin & Barker, 2008;Hudson & Walley, 2009;Ohri-Vachaspati, 2014). However, current research suggests NSLP lunches are more nutritious than packed lunches (Briefel, Wilson, & Gleason, 2009;Farris et al., 2014;Hubbard et al., 2014;Hur, Burgess-Champoux, & Reicks, 2011;Johnson et al., 2010;Johnston et al., 2012;Stevens, Nicholas, Wood, & Nelson, 2013), with students participating in the NSLP consuming more fruits, vegetables, and milk (Condon, Crepinsek, & Fox, 2009;Guenther, Dodd, Reedy, & Krebs-Smith, 2006). ...
The study explored parental attitudes and beliefs concerning child involvement in meal preparation, and sending healthy packed lunches to schools. Focus groups (n = 6) and demographic surveys were completed with 27 parents who packed their elementary child’s lunch at least twice a week. Qualitative thematic analysis of transcripts using inductive and deductive approaches were completed. Perceived benefits of packing lunches included food quality, control, and safety. Perceived barriers to involving children in decisions included a child’s attitude, time, mess, and cost. Parents believe child-friendly cookbooks, professional nutrition guidance, and child-inclusive cooking classes are beneficial to support healthy meals.
... Inadequate fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (2), metabolic syndrome (3), diabetes (4), cancer (5), and obesity (6). Overall, Americans underconsume FVs (7), and this is particularly pronounced among marginalized communities (8)(9)(10). Effective interventions to increase Americans' FV intake are needed. ...
Background
Valid biomarkers of fruit and vegetable (FV) intake are needed for field-based nutrition research.
Objective
To examine criterion-related validity of pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy as a proxy measure of FV intake, using plasma carotenoids and self-reported FV and carotenoid intake as primary and secondary criterion measures, respectively.
Methods
Healthy adults 18-65 years of age, self-identifying as African American/ black (n = 61), Asian (n = 53), white (n = 70), or Hispanic (n = 29) in North Carolina and Minnesota were recruited. Skin carotenoids were assessed via pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy (Veggie Meter ®), skin melanin via spectrophotometer, and total plasma carotenoid concentration by HPLC-PDA. Self-reported carotenoid and FV intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Relationships between skin carotenoids, plasma carotenoids, FV and carotenoid intake, with differences by race or ethnicity, age, sex, weight status, cholesterol, and melanin index, were examined by bivariate correlations and adjusted multivariate linear regressions.
Results
The overall unadjusted correlation between skin and total plasma carotenoids was r = 0.71 and ranged from 0.64 (non-Hispanic black) to 0.80 (Hispanic). Correlations between skin carotenoids and self-reported FV intake ranged from 0.24 (non-Hispanic black) to 0.53 (non-Hispanic white), with an overall correlation of r = 0.35. In models adjusted for age, sex, racial or ethnic group, and body mass index, skin carotenoids were associated with plasma carotenoids (R2 = 0.55), FV (R2 = 0.17), and carotenoid intake (R2 = 0.20). For both plasma carotenoid and FV measures, associations with skin carotenoids did not vary by race; but these relationships did differ by skin melanin – those with lower melanin had a lower correlation between skin and plasma carotenoids.
Conclusions
Reflection spectroscopy-assessed skin carotenoids may be a reasonable alternative to measurement of plasma carotenoids, a biomarker used to approximate FV intake.
... In the descriptive analyses, F+V consumption was measured categorically: (0) optimal consumption (≥5 servings of F+Vs per day); (1) intermediate consumption (3)(4) servings of F+Vs per day); or (2) worse consumption (0-2 servings of F+Vs per day). These cut-points were based on prior national recommendations and campaigns encouraging individuals to consume five or more F+Vs daily for optimal health [42][43][44]. In the multivariable regression analyses, daily F+V consumption was analyzed as a count. ...
To address existing gaps in public health practice, we used data from a 2014 internet panel survey of 954 Los Angeles County adults to investigate the relationships between psychosocial community characteristics (PCCs) and two key chronic disease-related dietary behaviors: fruit and vegetable (F+V) and soda consumption. Negative binomial regression models estimated the associations between ‘neighborhood risks and resources’ and ‘sense of community’ factors for each dietary outcome of interest. While high perceived neighborhood violence (p < 0.001) and perceived community-level collective efficacy (p < 0.001) were associated with higher F+V consumption, no PCCs were directly associated with soda consumption overall. However, moderation analyses by race/ethnicity showed a more varied pattern. High perceived violence was associated with lower F+V consumption among White and Asian/Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (ANHOPI) groups (p < 0.01). Inadequate park access and walking as the primary mode of transportation to the grocery store were associated with higher soda consumption among the ANHOPI group only (p < 0.05). Study findings suggest that current and future chronic disease prevention efforts should consider how social and psychological dynamics of communities influence dietary behaviors, especially among racially/ethnically diverse groups in urban settings. Intervention design and implementation planning could benefit from and be optimized based on these considerations.
... Even though the universal message concerning fruits and vegetables (F/V) is clear, eat them daily; to consume a variety; and to eat "plenty," "a lot," or "more" (Herforth et al., 2019), most children, adolescents and adults do not meet these guidelines (e.g., Guenther, Dodd, Reedy, & Krebs-Smith, 2006;Rosi et al., 2019). There are multiple barriers for not consuming the suggested amount of F/V in adults (e.g., not used to eating vegetables; fast food is convenient) and children (e.g., tempted to eat other foods/candy) (Nicklas et al., 2013). ...
Fruit and vegetable consumption is worldwide too low, resulting in poor diet quality and health-related problems. A cognitive factor that might contribute to this low consumption is confirmation bias. Confirmation bias has been established in anxiety research and comprises the tendency to search for reinforcing negative information, while ignoring counter attitudinal information. If applicable to food, asking for negative food information reinforces the negative attitude and decreases the willingness to try (novel) food. The aim of the current study was twofold. First, to examine if confirmation bias translates to food stimuli. Second, to investigate if this bias is exaggerated in persons with higher levels of food neophobia. To this end, 117 participants (age M = 21.45, SD = 4.48) carried out an online study. They filled in the food neophobia scale (FNS) and performed a search for additional information scale (SAIS) task. Four novel fruits were used, two looking tasteful (pomelo and rose apple) and two looking non-tasteful (black sapote and noni fruit). Participants rated their willingness to eat these fruits and subsequently could indicate how eager they were to receive positive or negative information regarding that fruit. The results indicated that the participants were more willing to try the tasteful looking fruits than the non-tasteful. Additionally, higher levels of food neophobia coincided with less willingness to eat all fruits. Confirmation bias was observed, more negative information was requested for the non-tasteful than for the tasteful fruits. This bias was not related to levels of food neophobia. These results are important as confirmation bias might make people even more negative towards novel foods and could contribute to even less fruit and vegetable consumption, especially when they look less appetizing.
... These guidelines are also followed by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health [4]. However, evidence that children are not meeting the recommendations (e.g., five pieces of F/V per day) is extensive, including in Portugal [5][6][7]. In fact, children are still consuming large amounts of energy-dense foods, fat, sugar, and salt, and consuming low amounts of fiber, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains [3]. ...
Promoting children's healthy diets is a key public health priority. Family can play a relevant role in children's eating patterns. The goals of the current research were to identify different latent diet profiles in children based on their food consumption and to assess the relationship between profiles and family-related factors. A total of 678 school-aged children from the fifth and sixth grades participated. The study design was cross-sectional and questionnaire based. Research assessed healthy (fruit and vegetables) and unhealthy (fast food, sugar-sweetened beverages, and candies) food consumption and family-related factors. A latent profile analysis and multivariate data analysis were developed. Four diet profiles were identified: Combined Diet, Mainly Healthy Diet, Mainly Unhealthy Diet, and Very Unhealthy Diet. Nearly half of the children (45.22%) showed a Combined Diet profile, meaning that they reported eating nearly the same amount of healthy and unhealthy types of foods. Associations between the diet profiles, family income, and food availability were found. For example, the Mainly Healthy Diet profile was statistically associated with a higher family income and less access to unhealthy foods. The present study reinforces the idea that profiling diets can allow for a tailored healthy eating intervention model according to the specific needs of each diet profile.
... 9 Recent studies indicate that fruit and vegetable consumption are low among members of the Navajo Nation, with more than half of Navajo adults consuming less than two servings of fruits and vegetables combined. 10 For Navajo Nation residents, one factor that contributes to low fruit and vegetable consumption is the limited availability of fresh fruit and vegetables. 11 The colonization of American Indians in the U.S. has led to the destruction of traditional food systems, and as a result, almost the entire Navajo Nation is characterized as a food desert. ...
Objective:
Navajo children are at increased risk for obesity, in part due to limited access to healthy foods. School garden interventions have been shown to increase access to fresh fruit and vegetables and consumption of healthy foods. Our study describes the development and pilot testing of a school garden intervention for Navajo elementary school children.
Methods:
We reviewed existing school garden interventions and conducted formative research with students, caregivers, and school staff to inform the intervention. The intervention consisted of a garden built at the school and a yearlong curriculum on gardening and healthy eating. We pilot tested the intervention in an elementary school on the Navajo Nation.
Results:
Formative research revealed the importance of incorporating Diné culture, including traditional growing practices and the preparation of traditional foods into the curriculum. School staff also stressed the value of tying the curriculum to state and Diné educational standards. Students enjoyed opportunities for hands-on activities and snack preparation.
Conclusions:
Schools have a meaningful role to play in addressing childhood obesity disparities among Navajo children. School-based interventions that draw on cultural strengths and include healthy traditional practices can be a promising strategy for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.
... A healthy diet is important for good health, but many people in the U.S. and around the around the world do not eat the way they should, especially in terms of fruit and vegetable consumption (Guenther & Dodd, 2006;Lee-Kwan et al., 2017;WHO, 2005). There is some evidence that childhood eating habits persist into adulthood (Lytle et al., 2000;Mikkilä et al. 2004), so teaching healthy eating habits to children is an important public health target. ...
Human behavior plays a central role in all domains of public health. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) research and practice can contribute to public health solutions that directly address human behavior. In this paper, we describe the field of public health, identify points of interaction between public health and ABA, summarize what ABA research has already contributed, and provide several recommendations for how ABA research and practice could continue to promote public health outcomes. A clearer focus on behavior and widespread adoption of research designs and interventions informed by the ABA literature could lead to better public health outcomes. Reciprocally, better integration of public health goals and strategies into ABA research, harnessing of technology, and more collaboration would help diversify and disseminate our applied science and could yield more effective and scalable interventions to prevent and treat public health problems.
... Moreover, research confirms that children with overweight/obesity consume less fruits and vegetables than children with normal weight (19). A low consumption of fruits and vegetables is not only associated with a higher risk of becoming overweight (19,20), but also with the development of chronic diseases (21,22). It was found that many children, instead of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, choose rather sugar-and fatrich snacks (23)(24)(25), which could lead to a higher energy intake (26) and consequently to overweight/obesity (27)(28)(29). ...
Plant foods, rich in fibre, can offer textures that children find difficult to orally manipulate, resulting in low preferences but are important for a healthy diet and prevention of overweight in children. Our aim was to investigate preferences for food texture, intake of fibre-associated foods and the relation to BMI. Three hundred thirty European children (9–12 years, 54% female) indicated their texture preferences using the Child-Food-Texture-Preference- Questionnaire (CFTPQ), and their parents responded on fibre-associated food consumption and anthropometric information. BMI was significantly lower for children with higher intake of wholegrain alternatives of common foods; in addition to being significantly influenced by country and the wearing of a dental brace. Overall BMI-for-age-percentiles (BMI_pct) were negatively associated with the consumption of wholegrain cereals, white pasta and wholemeal products and positively associated with the intake of legumes and white biscuits. In males, BMI_pct were negatively associated with wholegrain products and dried fruits, and in females, positively with legume consumption. A few country-related associations were found for BMI_pct and wholegrain biscuits, seeds and nuts and refined products. No overall correlation was found between BMI_pct and the texture preference of soft/hard foods by CFTPQ, except in Austria. We conclude that this study revealed evidence of a connection between fibre-associated foods and children‘s BMI at a cross-cultural level and that sex is an important determinant of fibre-associated food intake and the development of overweight in childhood.
... Canada, Australia, and the United States are some of the largest producers and exporters of pulses [2,3]; yet, pulse consumption is low in these countries, despite the established health benefits and domestic availability [3][4][5]. Only 7.9-13.1% of Europeans and North Americans consume pulse foods with a median intake of barely 0.2-0.5 serving on any given day [6][7][8][9]. Consistently, the health benefits of dietary pulses have received insufficient attention in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). ...
Pulse (beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas) consumption is low in developed countries. Pulses have the potential to benefit the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) because they improve aspects of metabolic derangements (dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance), which contribute to reproductive disturbances (oligo-amenorrhea, hyperandrogenism). We compared changes in knowledge, attitudes, and barriers towards pulse consumption in PCOS cohorts who participated in a pulse-based or a Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) dietary intervention. Thirty women (18–35 years old) randomised to a pulse-based diet (supplied with pulse-based meals) and 31 women in a TLC group completed pulse consumption questionnaires before and after a 16-week intervention. The pulse-diet group demonstrated increased knowledge of pulses per Canada’s Food Guide recommendations versus the TLC group post-intervention (p < 0.05). In both groups, increased scores were evident in the domain of attitude about pulses (p < 0.01). The top-ranked barrier to pulse consumption in no-/low-consumers was lack of knowledge about cooking pulses pre- and post-intervention. We attributed increased knowledge about pulse consumption in the pulse group to greater awareness through education and consuming pulse foods during the intervention. Our observations highlight the importance of multi-dimensional behavioural counselling and education to integrate healthy dietary practices for improving reproductive and sexual health in this under-studied high-risk population (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01288638).
... Individuals make investments in their health through proper dieting, exercising, and other lifestyle choices to maintain their health at existing levels. Other less appropriate choices such as smoking, substance abuse, inactivity, and poor dietary habits lead to a more rapid decline in an individual's health [4]. ...
This study analyzes the self-reported intake of dietary supplements (DS) and their effects on perceived health well-being from a survey with 1210 adult respondents in Korea. To account for selectivity bias from observable confounders, we use a propensity score matching (PSM) model. Our findings show that demographics, health concerns, family history of disease, frequency of hospital visits, and regular exercise are positively associated with intake of DS among consumers. Results from PSM show that the intake of DS leads to significant improvements in perceived health well-being among DS takers relative to DS non-takers regardless of gender, urban residence, having self-reported diseases or not. The paper concludes with implications for policies that promote intake of DS in Korea.
... [1][2][3] Contributing to the increasing waistlines of young people is the proliferation of poor lifestyle behaviors, with few children meeting physical activity, sedentary behavior, and fruit and vegetable consumption recommendations internationally. [4][5][6][7] Parents can influence their children's health behaviors through a variety of mechanisms, including their general parenting style, parenting practices (e.g., rule setting), and their control over the home environment. 8,9 Therefore, health promotion interventions targeting families may therefore be a valuable way to improve lifestyle behaviors physical activity among children. ...
We systematically identified effective and resource‐efficient strategies for recruiting families into health promoting intervention research. Four databases were searched for reviews. Interventions were extracted from included reviews. Additionally, a Delphi study was conducted with 35 experts in family‐based research. We assessed extracted data from our review and Delphi participants' opinions by collating responses into overarching themes based on recruitment setting then recruitment strategies to identify effective and resource‐efficient strategies for recruiting families into intervention research. A total of 64 articles (n = 49 studies) were included. Data regarding recruitment duration (33%), target sample size (32%), reach (18%), expressions of interest (33%), and enrollment rate (22%) were scarcely reported. Recruitment settings (84%) and strategies (73%) used were available for most studies. However, the details were vague, particularly regarding who was responsible for recruitment or how recruitment strategies were implemented. The Delphi showed recruitment settings, and strategies fell under six themes: school‐based, print/electronic media, community settings‐based, primary care‐based, employer‐based, and referral‐based strategies. Underrecruitment in family‐based trials is a major issue. Reporting on recruitment can be improved by better adherence to existing guidelines. Our findings suggest a multifaceted recruitment approach targeting adults and children with multiple exposures to study information.
... As diets high in fruits, vegetables, and nuts are high in many nutrients and associated with decreased risk and mortality from chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer (Bazzano, 2006;Kris-Etherton, Zhao, Binkoski, Coval, & Etherton, 2001;Rissanen et al., 2003;Slavin & Lloyd, 2012), low consumption is a public health concern. Intake of both added sugar and saturated fat meanwhile continues to exceed recommended levels, particularly in young adults who are among the highest consumers of added sugar and lowest consumers of fruit (Guenther, Dodd, Reedy, & Krebs-Smith, 2006;USDHHS & USDA, 2015). ...
American adults consume excess added sugar and saturated fat, and not enough fruit. A possible solution is the “Dessert Flip,” a shift in which the proportions of more sustainable plant‐based garnishes, such as fruit and nuts, are increased, while the proportion of conventional dessert is reduced. We hypothesized that the pleasing properties of fruits and nuts—color, variety, flavor, and texture—would allow the Dessert Flip to be liked as well or better than a conventional dessert by college‐aged students in a dining hall. In a sensory test, participants (n = 118) significantly preferred plated flipped desserts—those containing 80% by weight fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and mangoes) and nuts with 20% cake—over the conventional versions of those desserts with 80% cake and 20% fruit and nuts. No significant differences were found in overall liking. In a second experiment, after eating an entrée, participants (n = 150) chose pictures of multiple varieties of flipped cakes with 60% fruit and 40% cake significantly more than pictures of conventional 80% cake for dessert. Based on the U.S. average fruit prices, the Dessert Flip can be equal or lower in price per serving compared to an ungarnished typically sized cake. We conclude that the Dessert Flip offers a feasible option for increasing servings of fruits and nuts in desserts as well as reducing added sugar and saturated fat while maintaining sensory appeal. Future dietary guidelines could include this general strategy as a recommendation for helping adults include more fruits in their diets.
Practical Application
The Dessert Flip offers an appetizing way for foodservice to promote healthier eating by increasing servings of fruits and nuts in their desserts while reducing added sugar and saturated fat. Consumers can try this strategy at home by cutting a smaller piece of cake and adding fruit on the side.
... Most research examining predictors of healthpromoting behaviors focus on demographic variables such as age, body mass index (BMI), gender, income, and educational attainment (Charlton et al., 2014;Emanuel et al., 2012;Goldberg and Strycker, 2002). The results show that increased age and higher levels of education are positively associated with fruit and vegetable consumption (Crozier et al., 2009;Guenther et al., 2006;Kimmons et al., 2009). ...
Previous studies have shown that certain personality traits such as neuroticism and conscientiousness influence dietary choices. Pregnancy is a unique period in a woman’s life during which most women are highly intrinsically and extrinsically motivated to start a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. Yet, an adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables remains a challenge for many women. The present study investigates the relationships between personality traits and fish, dairy, fruit, and vegetable intake. Data was collected from 602 pregnant women and analyzed using descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression analyses in order to examine predictive relationships between the variables of interest. The results demonstrated that high scores in openness to experience, older maternal age, higher income, and educational attainment were positively associated with increased fish, vegetable, and fruit intake. These findings have important implications for interventions that seek to improve eating behaviors of pregnant women, thereby increasing the health of their pregnancies.
... Thus, besides knowing what to eat, children need to think that healthy eating is important, feel capable of making healthy choices, and know how to make them (e.g., how to plan). Hence, it comes as no surprise that, although the amount of investment in intervention to promote knowledge about healthy eating, the consumption of vegetables and fruits remains under the average of five servings a day recommendation (Guenther et al., 2006;Kim et al., 2014WHO & FAO, 2003. Some interventions focusing on child related factors of healthy eating are starting to include aspects other than the promotion of knowledge about healthy eating. ...
Despite the etiology of childhood obesity being multifactorial,
research shows that most cases are associated with non-genetic and modifiable factors, such as eating habits. Grounded on several
investigations conducted to understand children’s food consumption
behaviors, in this chapter we present conclusions and reflections about the role of motivation related variables on healthy eating habits among elementary school students. In fact, prior research on the role of variables likely to explain children’s food choices and dietary intake has mainly focused on factors such as marketing influence, food price, parental food consumption behaviors, peer choices, food preferences, and individual internal traits. Still, motivation-related variables, such as self-efficacy and self-regulation, have often been overlooked. A recent study using a
structural equations model suggests that motivation related variables, including self-regulation, self-efficacy and attitudes towards healthy eating are related to children’s healthy and unhealthy food consumption. Moreover, combining the promotion of self-regulation and knowledge about healthy eating seems to influence children’s weight. This suggests that it is important to empower children with motivation related competences, such as self-regulation towards food consumption. Based on these data, and on the recognition that healthy eating habits may be one of the key factors to prevent and tackle childhood obesity epidemic, we reflect on implications and suggestions for practice, as well as on advocacy and policy guidelines.
... Nossos resultados indicam que, apesar deles reconhecerem que o consumo de frutos está relacionado com alimentação saudável, boa parte não apresenta esse hábito. Estudos demonstram tendência a declínio no consumo de frutas e vegetais durante a transição da adolescência para a idade adulta, sendo que um grupo minoritário nessa faixa etária consome o recomendado, ou seja, comer diariamente três porções ou mais de frutas (GUENTHER et al., 2006) (LARSON et al., 2008FERREIRA, 2014) Banana e maçã foram os frutos mais consumidos pelos jovens e suas famílias (78% e 72%). Quando perguntados sobre quais frutos nativos da região eles conheciam, 10% informaram não conhecer nenhum fruto nativo, mas dentre os 90% que responderam conhecer, 98% incluíram frutos exóticos em sua resposta e apenas 50% de fato citaram exemplos frutos nativos. ...
A presente proposta de livro visa estimular um debate sobre múltiplas questões ambientais voltadas à região de Aquidauana. Ou seja, saberes inerentes ao entendimento das relações ambiente-sociedade. É de suma importância a divulgação dos trabalhos realizados na região a fim de subsidiar políticas públicas locais, bem como estimular o desenvolvimento local. O conteúdo traz a contribuição de pesquisadores de diferentes áreas do conhecimento, oriundas de uma série de projetos apoiados pela UFMS e órgãos de fomento à Ciência e Tecnologia. Como um marco de 40 anos da UFMS, uma vez que o Campus de Aquidauana se faz presente desde os primórdios da universidade.
... Moreover, daily intake of fruits and vegetables for adults with ID is, also, far away from the observed in adults without ID. More specifically, adults without ID in USA consume the recommended daily fruits and vegetables in percentages from 17% to 40% (Guenther et al., 2006;Thompson et al., 1999). ...
p>The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the adoption of Mediterranean diet in adolescents with intellectual disabilities. The sample of the study consisted of 24 adolescents (8 boys and 16 girls) with intellectual disabilities who were studying at a secondary education school, with an average age of 17.63+2.018 years. For data collection, the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index for Children and Adolescents (KIDMED) by Serra-Majem et al. (2004) was used. KIDMED is supported by specific principles sustaining traditional healthy Mediterranean dietary patterns. KIDMED is based on a 16-item food consumption log questionnaire that can be answered either self-administered or in interview. As for the pupils with intellectual disabilities, the answers were recorded in an individual interview. For the statistical analysis the Statistical Package for Social Sciences ver. 23.0 for windows was used. Data processing showed that over the 1/3 of adolescents with intellectual disabilities (37.5%) has a very low diet quality, while the proportion of adolescents following an optimal Mediterranean diet was zero. In addition, the diet of the adolescents with intellectual disabilities in a very large proportion (62.5%) needs improvement for the adaptation of the consumption / intake to Mediterranean patterns. The results show that adolescents with intellectual disabilities do not follow the Mediterranean diet. Therefore, priority should be given to the application and implementation of health educational programs on diet in general, and more specifically on the benefits of Mediterranean diet to adolescents with intellectual disabilities, in order to adopt the Mediterranean diet patterns aiming on the beneficial effects, both directly and long-term in their adult life.
Article visualizations:
</p
Pulses, dry seeds of legume family, their roles have been very significant in human diets & agriculture for thousands of years. This comprehensive review paper delves into the nutritional properties, health benefits, & culinary uses of pulses. Pulses are very rich in plant proteins, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants & bioactive compounds, making them valuable for human nutrition. Furthermore, highlighting the potentially health benefits which the pulses provide, including their role in heart health, weight management, & blood sugar control. Pulses may lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, weight loss, & improved glycemic control in various studies. Pulse seeds vitally possess potential in the prevention of many chronic diseases e.g., cancer. Incorporating pulses into diets, especially in regions with dietary diversity challenges, is emphasized as a means to enhance nutritional status. Different culinary methods for pulse consumption are explored, along with the impact of processing techniques on nutrient retention. However, there are certain anti-nutritional factors in pulses, which can affect nutrient absorption & bioavailability. Traditional food preparation methods are discussed as strategies to mitigate the effects of these anti-nutrients. Overall, this review underscores the nutritional significance of pulses & their potential in promoting human health, while also acknowledging the importance of understanding & managing their anti-nutritional components. Pulses, with their diverse nutritional profile, have potential in contributing to sustainable & health-conscious diets worldwide.
Importance:
Despite recent growth in online redemption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, no previous work has tested the impact of economic and behavioral economic strategies on food purchasing behaviors in an online grocery retail setting among adults with low income.
Objective:
To examine the extent to which financial incentives and default shopping cart options influence fruit and vegetable purchases.
Design, setting, and participants:
This randomized clinical trial used an experimental online grocery store for adults who currently or have ever received SNAP benefits. From October 7 to December 2, 2021, participants were instructed to shop for a week's worth of groceries for their household, with a budget tailored to household size; no payment was taken.
Interventions:
Random assignment to 1 of 4 conditions: no intervention, 50% discount on eligible fruits and vegetables, prefilled shopping carts with tailored fruit and vegetable items (ie, default options), or a combination of the discount and default options.
Main outcomes and measures:
The primary outcome was the percentage of nondiscounted dollars spent on eligible fruit and vegetables per basket.
Results:
Of 2744 participants, mean (SD) age was 46.7 (16.0) years, and 1447 (52.7%) identified as women. A total of 1842 participants (67.1%) reported currently receiving SNAP benefits and 1492 (54.4%) reported shopping online for groceries in the previous 12 months. Participants spent a mean (SD) 20.5% (23.5%) of total dollars on eligible fruits and vegetables. Compared with no intervention, those in the discount condition spent 4.7% (98.3% CI, 1.7%-7.7%) of more total dollars on eligible fruits and vegetables; those in the default condition, 7.8% (98.3% CI, 4.8%-10.7%) more; and those in the combination condition, 13.0% (98.3% CI, 10.0%-16.0%) more (P < .001 for all). There was no difference between the discount and the default conditions (P = .06), but the effect in the combination condition was significantly larger than both discount and default conditions (P < .001). Default shopping cart items were purchased by 679 participants (93.4%) in the default condition and 655 (95.5%) in the combination condition, whereas 297 (45.8%) in the control and 361 (52.9%) in the discount conditions purchased those items (P < .001). No variation was observed by age, sex, or race and ethnicity, and results were similar when those who reported never shopping online for groceries were excluded.
Conclusions and relevance:
In this randomized clinical trial, financial incentives for fruits and vegetables and default options, especially in combination, led to meaningful increases in online fruit and vegetable purchases among adults with low income.
Trial registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04766034.
The number of older adults in the United States is estimated to nearly double from 52 million to 95 million by 2060. Approximately 80-85% of older adults are diagnosed with a chronic health condition. Many of these chronic health conditions are influenced by diet and physical activity, suggesting improved diet and eating behaviors could improve health-related outcomes. One factor that might improve dietary habits in older adults is food-related inhibitory control. We tested whether food-related inhibitory control, as measured via behavioral data (response time, accuracy) and scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERP; N2 and P3 components), differed between younger and older adults over age 55. Fifty-nine older adults (31 females [52.5%], Mage = 64, SDage = 7.5) and 114 younger adults (82 females [71.9%], Mage = 20.8) completed two go/no-go tasks, one inhibiting to high-calorie stimuli and one inhibiting to low-calorie stimuli, while electroencephalogram (EEG) data were recorded. Older adults had slower overall response times than younger adults, but this was not specific to either food task. There was not a significant difference in accuracy between younger and older adults, but both groups' accuracy and response times were significantly better during the high-calorie task than the low-calorie task. For both the N2 and P3 ERP components, younger adults had larger no-go ERP amplitudes than older adults, but this effect was not food-specific, reflecting overall generalized lower inhibitory control processing in older adults. P3 amplitude for the younger adults demonstrated a specific food-related effect (greater P3 amplitude for high-calorie no-go than low-calorie no-go) that was not present for older adults. Findings support previous research demonstrating age-related differences in inhibitory control though those differences may not be specific to inhibiting towards food.
Food supplement, according to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 (Public Law 103–417) [1], is a product that is not a pharmaceutical drug, a food additive (spice or preservative), or “conventional food,” and which meets the following criteria:Multivitamins are the most popular food supplements worldwide [2] and represent a significant percentage of health-related expenses in the U.S., reaching more than 1/3 of prescription drug expenses. A multivitamin/mineral supplement is defined in the U.S. as: “A supplement containing 3 or more vitamins and minerals and not herbs, hormones, or drugs, in which, each vitamin and mineral is included at a dose below the tolerable upper level, as determined by the Food and Drug Board, and does not present a risk of adverse health effects” [3]. Multivitamin supplements are commonly provided in combination with dietary minerals and the terms multivitamin and multimineral are often used interchangeably. Even though the term multivitamin/multimineral supplements (MVM) regularly appears in scientific literature, none of these terms has a precise scientific definition [4]. MVMs might even contain more than 10 different vitamins and 7–10 minerals.
Background:
Dietary intake is a powerful modifiable factor that influences cancer risk; however, most US adults do not adhere to dietary guidelines for cancer prevention. One promising pathway for improving dietary adherence is targeting grocery shopping habits. Interventions might facilitate healthy grocery choices, with a combination of mHealth and traditional methods, by promoting the salience of dietary goals while shopping, enhancing motivation to make dietary changes, and increasing household support for healthy food purchasing.
Objective:
This pilot study will assess feasibility and acceptability of intervention components designed to improve adherence to dietary guidelines for cancer prevention (preliminary aim). The primary aim of the study is to quantify the effect of each intervention component, individually and in combination, on dietary intake (primary aim) and grocery store food purchases (exploratory aim). Mediation analyses will be conducted to understand the mechanisms of action (goal salience, motivation, and household support-secondary aims). The overarching goal is to optimize an mHealth intervention to be tested in a future fully powered clinical trial.
Methods:
The study enrolled adults (N=62) with low adherence to dietary recommendations for cancer prevention. In a 20-week program, all participants attend a nutrition education workshop and receive weekly educational messages through an app. A factorial design is used to test 4 intervention components: (1) location-triggered messages: educational messages are delivered when arriving at grocery stores; (2) reflections on the benefits of change: content is added to messages to encourage reflection on anticipated benefits of healthy eating, and participants attend an additional workshop session and 3 coach calls on this topic; (3) coach monitoring: food purchases are monitored digitally by a coach who sends personalized weekly app messages and conducts 3 coaching calls that focus on feedback about purchases; and (4) household support: another adult in the household receives messages designed to elicit support for healthy food purchasing, and support is addressed in 3 coach calls and an extra workshop session attended by the index participant and household member. Assessments are completed at weeks 0, 10, and 20 using self-report measures, as well as objective capture of grocery data from the point of purchase using store loyalty accounts.
Results:
The National Cancer Institute funded this study (R21CA252933) on July 7, 2020. Participant recruitment began in the spring of 2021 and concluded with the successful enrollment of 62 participants. Data collection is expected to be completed in the summer of 2022, and results are expected to be disseminated in the summer of 2023.
Conclusions:
The results of this study will inform the development of scalable interventions to lower cancer risk via changes in dietary intake.
Trial registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04947150; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04947150.
International registered report identifier (irrid):
DERR1-10.2196/39669.
Nutrition in pregnant mothers has long been known to be an important determinant of fetal/maternal outcomes. In general, the typical American diet shows opportunities for improvement. The intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fiber may be below recommended levels, but the relative proportion of sodium, fats, and carbohydrates seems high. In this review, we present current evidence on how the fetal/neonatal outcomes may be altered by maternal nutrition at the time of conception, fetal nutrition in utero, contribution of maternal dietary factors in fetal outcomes, weight gain during pregnancy, diabetes during pregnancy, fetal growth restriction (FGR), maternal nutritional status during later pregnancy, and pregnancy in adolescent mothers.
Food neophobia in children is associated with less consumption of fruit and vegetable (FV). Food neophobia (FN) in children can be influenced by parents and their parental feeding practices. The present study examines the relationship between FN and fruit and vegetable neophobia (FVN) among: (a) parents, (b) parents-reports on child's behavior, and (c) child self-reports. The effect of parental feeding practices on child's FN and FVN were also studied. Parents paired with their children (6–12 years) participated in this study. Parents reported their children more neophobic than children who self-reported, and the association was significant (r = .62, p < .05). FVN were positively correlated with FN in both parents and children. Hispanic and parents without a college degree reported higher levels of restriction for weight control. More pressure to eat was applied for younger children (p < .05). Pressuring children to eat increased their levels of FN and FVN as reported by parents.
Practical applications
This study gives parents/guardians an insight on how their feeding strategies can influence the food consumption balance of their children. Parents can promote their children's eating habits toward consuming more fruit and vegetable by avoiding pressure while encouraging their children to have a more dietary variety.
Domains of motivation, learning and personality traits (MLP) have emerged as vital constructs in studies of academic performance. Although there are abundant studies on the relationships of the three aforementioned dimensions on performance, no systematic synthesis of the empirical literature has been done regarding how three determinants jointly influence academic performance. Random-effects meta-regression analysis with a restricted maximum likelihood estimator is applied to 54 papers with 344 estimates. Summarization of effect sizes reveal a mean effect size for the study of r=0.22. The forest plot suggests a significant amount of study heterogeneity. No evidence of significant publication bias is uncovered. The achieved results show the significance of MLP as associated variables and also on an individual basis and they can positively impact student's academic performance. Other mediator variables, including income level, year, main methodology used, cohort gender, sample size, publication type and citations are found to be important variables in understating academic performance. Future work is needed to develop an integrated approach to examine educational objectives and explore the correlates of combined MLP and academic performance.
Field studies are important to minimize human Pb exposure via urban gardening. This study assessed (1) the effect of the use of limestone and composted manure on soil–plant transfer of Pb and on in vitro Pb bioaccessibility in an urban garden contaminated (total Pb ∼ 200 mg kg–1) with gasoline emissions and other diffuse sources of Pb, (2) the effect of peeling on Pb in root crops, and (3) the significance of surface contamination of vegetables. In a field study, we planted lettuce, radish, carrots, and beetroots. The surface soil (0–15 cm) was loamy sand, had a low organic C content (1.2 %), and had a slightly acidic pH (5.92). The amendments did not affect Pb in vegetables or Pb bioaccessibility. Peeling reduced the concentration of Pb in radish by half. Removal of surface dust reduced the concentration of Pb in leafy vegetables by 40–50%. The daily Pb intake that could occur by consumption of both lettuce and carrot/beetroot in the garden was 1–2 times lower than the daily Pb intake allowed by the CODEX limits, but it was ∼1.5 times higher than the interim reference level of Pb intake proposed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
URL: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsagscitech.0c00068
How food is presented and eaten influences the eating experience. Novel gustatory interfaces have opened up new ways for eating at the dining table. For example, recent developments in acoustic technology have enabled the transportation of food and drink in mid-air, directly into the user's tongue. Basic taste particles like sweet, bitter and umami have higher perceived intensity when delivered with acoustic levitation, and are perceived as more pleasant despite their small size (approx. 20 L or 4mm diameter droplets). However, it remains unclear if users are ready to accept this delivery method at the dining table. Sixty-nine children aged 14 to 16 years did a taste test of 7 types of foods and beverages, using two delivery methods: acoustic levitation, and knife and fork (traditional way). Children were divided into two groups: one group was shown a video demonstrating how levitating food can be eaten before the main experiment whereas the other group was shown the videos after. Our results showed no significant differences in liking of the foods and beverages between the two delivery methods. However, playing the video prior to the test significantly increased the liking and willingness to eat vegetables in the levitation method. Evaluative feedback suggested that a bigger portion size of levitating foods could be the game-changer to integrate this novel technology into real-life eating experiences.
Objective
Nutrition backlash is a disposition defined by negative feelings about dietary recommendations. Past research has measured nutrition backlash using the nutrition backlash scale (NBS), and found that it is negatively related to fruit and vegetable consumption. The present study examined several aspects of the NBS, including factor structure, discriminant validity, and relationship to demographics and health behaviors.
Research Methods & Procedures
Adults were recruited to participate in two studies. Study 1 (N = 480) included measures of nutritional backlash, information overload, worry, fatalism, and nutrition-related behaviors. Study 2 (N = 399) was a follow-up that examined the factor structure of the NBS in a separate sample.
Results
In study 1, a six-item version of the NBS was found to be a good fit for the data and discriminant from overload, worry, and fatalism. NBS was higher for those with less education, non-White participants, and males. Individuals with higher backlash were also less likely to look at nutritional labels and to use sunscreen. Study 2 confirmed the factor structure from study 1.
Conclusions
A six-item version of NBS was found to be reliable, discriminant from related measures, higher in underserved groups (less educated, non-White, and male participants), and related to nutrition label use.
Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the advance of information communication technology, including the widespread of mobile devices and social media, has been changing the quality of life in the global world. Among all the many parties affected, health care, its process, system and many related activities are the domains with fundamental changes. Internet penetration in daily life, and in health-care systems, can help in communicating information and messages across boundaries and time. The emergence of social media has made medical and health information more transparent, and at the same time, medical and health organisations are expected to react in a faster pace. It has been a trend for local governments to promote health information and campaign by means of social media. Mass media, including the new media, now transmit messages with high efficacy through advertising, entertainment, public relations and social experience. On the other hand, health-care systems have been developed into more complex adaptive systems that include more stakeholders, and the most important of all is the public. There are lots of stakeholders involved in a health issue, and how to convey health information precisely is the main concern for the media and health organisations. One of the important contexts of this chapter is the analysis of the roles of these stakeholders and the conditions in which parties can cooperate well for the primary care and promotion of health of the community, particularly in healthy ageing. Moreover, it will discuss whether the media can take a balance between the benefits and the consideration of moral dilemma via message transmission as well.
Background
Recent federal proposals in Canada have called for changes in the delivery and funding of school lunches. Yet little evidence has documented the nutritional quality of meals eaten by school children, which is needed to inform school lunch reforms.
Objectives
To assess the dietary contributions of lunch foods to daily food and nutrient intakes on school days and compare dietary intakes across eating locations (school, home, and off campus).
Design
Cross-sectional analyses of school day data from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey—Nutrition.
Participants/setting
Children aged 6 to 17 years who completed a 24-hour dietary recall falling on a school day in 2015 (n=2,540).
Main outcome measures
Mean percent of daily intakes of energy, food groups, and nutrients contributed by foods reported at lunch and energy-adjusted intakes of nutrients and food groups consumed during the lunch meal.
Statistical analyses
Descriptive statistics were used to assess the percent of daily energy, nutrients, and food groups contributed by lunch foods. Multivariable linear regression models examined differences in dietary outcomes across eating locations for the full sample and stratified by age group, with separate models for children aged 6 to 13 and 14 to 17 years.
Results
On average, foods reported at lunch provided ∼26% of daily calories on school days. Relative to energy, lunch foods provided lower contributions of dark green and orange vegetables, whole fruit, fruit juice, whole grains, milk and alternatives, fluid milk; minimally nutritious foods including sugar-sweetened beverages; and several related nutrients including total sugars; vitamins A, D, B-6, and B-12; riboflavin; and calcium. Yet, lunch foods provided proportionally higher contributions of grain products, non–whole grains, meat and alternatives, and sodium. Children aged 14 to 17 years who ate lunch at school reported higher intakes of total vegetables and fruit, whole fruit, whole grains, fiber, vitamin C, and magnesium but reported fewer calories from sugar-sweetened beverages compared with their peers who ate lunch off campus.
Conclusions
Relative to its contribution to energy, lunch on school days contributed to proportionally lower intakes of many healthful foods such as dark green and orange vegetables, whole fruit, whole grains, and fluid milk but also proportionally lower intakes of other high-fat and high-sugar foods including sugar-sweetened beverages. This study adds to the growing body of evidence on dietary concerns during school time for Canadian children and highlights particular nutritional challenges for adolescents consuming lunch off campus.
Assessment of the dietary intake of a population must consider the large within-person variation in daily intakes. A 1986 report by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), commissioned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), marked an important milestone in the history of this issue. Since that time, USDA has been working cooperatively with statisticians at Iowa State University (ISU), who have further developed the measurement error model approach proposed by NAS. The method developed by the ISU statisticians can be used to estimate usual dietary intake distributions for a population but not for specific individuals. It is based on the assumption that an individual can more accurately recall and describe the foods eaten yesterday than foods eaten at an earlier time. The method requires as few as two independent days of nutrient intake information or three consecutive days for at least a subsample of the individuals. It removes biases of subsequent reporting days compared with the first day, and temporal effects such as day-of-the-week and seasonal effects can be easily removed. The method developed at ISU is described conceptually and applied to data collected in the 1989–91 USDA Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals to estimate the proportion of men and women age 20 y and older having “usual” (long-run average) intakes below 30% of energy from fat, below the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances for vitamin A and folate, and above 1000 μg for folate. These results were compared with the results from the distributions of 1-d intakes and of 3-d mean intakes to demonstrate the effect of within-person variation and asymmetry on usual nutrient intakes in a population.
Assessment of the dietary intake of a population must consider the large within-person variation in daily intakes. A 1986 report by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), commissioned by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), marked an important milestone in the history of this issue. Since that time, USDA has been working cooperatively with statisticians at Iowa State University (ISU), who have further developed the measurement error model approach proposed by NAS. The method developed by the ISU statisticians can be used to estimate usual dietary intake distributions for a population but not for specific individuals. It is based on the assumption that an individual can more accurately recall and describe the foods eaten yesterday than foods eaten at an earlier time. The method requires as few as two independent days of nutrient intake information or three consecutive days for at least a subsample of the individuals. It removes biases of subsequent reporting days compared with the first day, and temporal effects such as day-of-the-week and seasonal effects can be easily removed. The method developed at ISU is described conceptually and applied to data collected in the 1989-91 USDA Continuing Survey of Food intakes by individuals to estimate the proportion of men and women age 20 y and older having "usual" (long-run average) intakes below 30% of energy from fat, below the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances for vitamin A and folate, and above 1000 micrograms for folate. These results were compared with the results from the distributions of 1-d intakes and of 3-d mean intakes to demonstrate the effect of within-person variation and asymmetry on usual nutrient intakes in a population.
The distribution of usual intakes of dietary components is important to individuals formulating food policy and to persons designing nutrition education programs. The authors suggest a methodology for estimating usual intake distributions that allows for varying degrees of departure from normality and recognizes the measurement error associated with one-day dietary intakes. The approach is applied to data from the 1985 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and works well for a set of dietary components that are consumed nearly daily and exhibit varying distributional shapes. Published in Journal of the American Statistical Association 91(436):1440-49, December 1996. (Replaces 92-WP 99; 95-SR 74.)
The distribution of usual intakes of dietary components is important to individuals formulating food policy and to persons designing nutrition education programs. The usual intake of a dietary component for a person is the long-run average of daily intakes of that component for that person. Because it is impossible to directly observe usual intake for an individual, it is necessary to develop an estimator of the distribution of usual intakes based on a sample of individuals with a small number of daily observations on a subsample of the individuals. Daily intake data for individuals are nonnegative and often very skewed. Also, there is large day-to-day variation relative to the individual-to-individual variation, and the within-individual variance is correlated with the individual means. We suggest a methodology for estimating usual intake distributions that allows for varying degrees of departure from normality and recognizes the measurement error associated with one-day dietary intakes. The estimation method contains four steps. First, the original data are standardized by adjusting for nuisance effects, such as day-of-week and interview sequence. Second, the daily intake data are transformed to normality using a combination of power and grafted polynomial transformations. Third, using a normal components-of-variance model, the distribution of usual intakes is constructed for the transformed data. Finally, a transformation of the normal usual intake distribution to the original scale is defined. The approach is applied to data from the 1985 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals and works well for a set of dietary components that are consumed nearly daily and exhibit varying distributional shapes.
Evidence is available from many different kinds of surveys that repeated interviewing of the same persons can frequently change response patterns. For many characteristics, estimates from different panels relating to the same time period do not have the same expected value. In panel surveys, estimation techniques frequently take advantage of the correlation between observations on identical persons over time. The existence of a bias, its effect on both ratio estimates and composite estimates, and a comparison of the estimated mean-square errors of ratio and composite estimates are illustrated with data from the Current Population Survey.
Given the recent surge in obesity, effective dietary strategies for weight management are required. Because fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber, incorporating them in the diet can reduce energy density, promote satiety, and decrease energy intake. Although few interventions have specifically addressed fruit and vegetable consumption, evidence suggests that coupling advice to increase intake of these foods with advice to decrease energy intake is a particularly effective strategy for weight management. This approach may facilitate weight loss because it emphasizes positive messages rather than negative, restrictive messages
Diets rich in fruit and vegetables have been recommended for preventing cancer. The evidence supporting this recommendation is based on observational studies, although results of several prospective studies have cast some doubts on whether fruit and vegetables are associated with cancer risk reduction.
We sought to summarize evidence from case-control and prospective studies on fruit and vegetable intake and cancer risk with a meta-analytic approach.
Published case-control and cohort studies that reported on total vegetable and fruit intake and risk of cancer of several sites were included. Relative risks were estimated by using linear logistic regression models.
Case-control studies overall support a significant reduction in the risks of cancers of the esophagus, lung, stomach, and colorectum associated with both fruit and vegetables; breast cancer is associated with vegetables but not with fruit; and bladder cancer is associated with fruit but not with vegetables. The overall relative risk estimates from cohort studies suggest a protective effect of both fruit and vegetables for most cancer sites considered, but the risk reduction is significant only for cancers of the lung and bladder and only for fruit.
Prospective studies provide weaker evidence than do case-control studies of the association of fruit and vegetable consumption with reduced cancer risk. The discrepancies may be related to recall and selection biases in case-control studies. In contrast, the association may have been underestimated in prospective studies because of the combined effects of imprecise dietary measurements and limited variability of dietary intakes within each cohort.
Evidence from prospective cohort studies indicates that a high consumption of plant-based foods such as fruit and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains is associated with a significantly lower risk of coronary artery disease and stroke. The protective effects of these foods are probably mediated through multiple beneficial nutrients contained in these foods, including mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, n-3 fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber, and plant protein. In dietary practice, healthy plant-based diets do not necessarily have to be low in fat. Instead, these diets should include unsaturated fats as the predominant form of dietary fat (eg, fats from natural liquid vegetable oils and nuts), whole grains as the main form of carbohydrate, an abundance of fruit and vegetables, and adequate n-3 fatty acids. Such diets, which also have many other health benefits, deserve more emphasis in dietary recommendations to prevent chronic diseases.
Cardiovascular disease and cancer are ranked as the first and second leading causes of death in the United States and in most industrialized countries. Regular consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with reduced risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, stroke, Alzheimer disease, cataracts, and some of the functional declines associated with aging. Prevention is a more effective strategy than is treatment of chronic diseases. Functional foods that contain significant amounts of bioactive components may provide desirable health benefits beyond basic nutrition and play important roles in the prevention of chronic diseases. The key question is whether a purified phytochemical has the same health benefit as does the whole food or mixture of foods in which the phytochemical is present. Our group found, for example, that the vitamin C in apples with skin accounts for only 0.4% of the total antioxidant activity, suggesting that most of the antioxidant activity of fruit and vegetables may come from phenolics and flavonoids in apples. We propose that the additive and synergistic effects of phytochemicals in fruit and vegetables are responsible for their potent antioxidant and anticancer activities, and that the benefit of a diet rich in fruit and vegetables is attributed to the complex mixture of phytochemicals present in whole foods.
Pyramid servings intakes in the United States 1999-2002, 1 day Agricultural Research Service, Community Nutrition Research Group, CNRG Table set 3.0 Bailar BA. The effects of rotation group bias on esti-mates from panel surveys
- Aj Cook
- Friday
Cook AJ, Friday JE. Pyramid servings intakes in the United States 1999-2002, 1 day. Agricultural Research Service, Community Nutrition Research Group, CNRG Table set 3.0. Available at http://www.ba.ars.usda.gov/ cnrg/services/ts_3-0.pdf. Accessed June 13, 2006. 29. Bailar BA. The effects of rotation group bias on esti-mates from panel surveys. J Am Stat Assoc. 1975;70: 23-29. September 2006 ● Journal of the AMERICAN DIETETIC ASSOCIATION 1379
Developing a measure for the Dietary Guidelines recommendation to “eat a variety of foods”
- Carlson
Pyramid servings intakes in the United States 1999-2002, 1 day
- A J Cook
- J E Friday