Increased Calorie Intake at a Specific Mid-morning Meal and Increased Intake of Soft Drinks are Strongly Associated with Obesity in Mexican Rural Women

The study investigated the dietary habits and foods that are associated with obesity in women from a rural area in Mexico. Anthropometry and body fat were measured in 580 women. Participants answered a socioeconomic and a food-frequency questionnaire; a subsample (n = 80) also answered three 24-hour-recall questionnaires. Results showed that obese women consumed more soft drinks and fat than did overweight and normal-weight women. Women who consumed more energy during a mid-morning meal had higher BMI. A strategy to decrease the prevalence of obesity in rural areas could be to encourage limiting the consumption of soft drinks and eliminating or reducing caloric intake at a mid-morning meal.     

Daily consumption of wild fish and game: exposures of high end recreationists

There has been widespread interest in the exposure of indigenous and subsistence populations to a variety of contaminants through the consumption of wild fish and game, yet there is little information on recreationists. Information on wild fish and game consumption in South Carolina are presented here, data on other sources of animal protein are presented elsewhere. Data are presented for use in probabilistic risk assessment. Fish and deer were the most commonly eaten wild-caught foods. High-end consumers were eating at nearly 10x the median consumption rate for most wild-caught foods. There were significant differences in consumption as a function of age and ethnicity that should be taken into account when conducting risk assessments for the consumption of wild-caught meat and fish. Men consumed more of these foods, while white sportsmen consumed more deer and black sportsmen consumed more fish. Similar data are not generally available, either for the U.S. as a whole, or for specific geographical locations, although there are data for self-caught fish because of the issuance of consumption advisories for U.S. waters.     

Alcohol and other substance use among a sample of young people in the Solomon Islands

Objective: Investigate alcohol and other substance use, with a focus on harmful alcohol use patterns, among young people in the Solomon Islands. Methods: A structured, interviewer‐administered questionnaire was administered to respondents aged 15–24 years across four of the country's provinces in late 2015. Results: Four hundred young people completed the questionnaire across urban, peri‐urban and rural communities. The most common substances ever used by participants were betel nut (94%), licit/store‐bought and/or illicit alcohol (79%) and tobacco (76%). Lifetime and recent substance use was particularly common among male respondents; e.g. 89% of male participants reported ever using any alcohol versus 54% of females (p<0.001). Harmful alcohol use patterns were common. Conclusions: Our sample generally reported higher levels of substance use compared to previous research in the Solomon Islands, including in relation to the country's relatively recent (2012/13) Household Income and Expenditure Survey. Implications for public health: Our study made considerable advances in addressing key knowledge gaps regarding alcohol and other substance use among young people in the Solomon Islands. Evidence‐based initiatives to address early initiation of alcohol and other substance use and the progression to more problematic use patterns among young people in the Solomon Islands need to be explored.     

Indigenous Knowledge on Landraces and Fonio-Based Food in Benin

Fonio is a traditional cereal cultivated in many West African countries, where farmers are often the guardians of a rich diversity of landraces or traditional varieties. An investigation conducted in northwest of Benin on indigenous knowledge about fonio landraces and fonio-based traditional foods allowed us to inventory 35 landraces identified by the farmers. Ipormoa, Namba, Icantoni or Kopognakè or Icantoga and Iporhouwan landraces were good to cook paste and couscous and easy to dehusk. Besides, Ipormoa and Iporhouwan landraces had interesting agronomic characteristics. Paste, porridge, and couscous were the main fonio-based foods consumed by farmers in northwest of Benin.     

中国西部城市和农村开展面粉营养素强化的可行性分析

目的通过对甘肃农产区居民的饮食习惯、营养知识和态度的调查,从需方的角度对开展面粉营养素强化的可行性进行探讨。方法采用定性和定量调查相结合的方法,对4个地区的城市和农村的男性和女性分别进行现状和原因的调查分析。结果被调查地区多数城市(92.7%)和农村(60.7%)家庭日常饮食以面食为主,94.7%的城市家庭购买面粉,而在农村地区,多数家庭自己种植或购买小麦。城市居民较农村对营养和维生素有更多的了解和关注。农村男性对面粉营养素强化持怀疑态度,女性更加关注孩子的营养,认为目前的饮食单一,孩子可能营养不足。结论与农村地区相比,城市地区的社会经济条件和知识基础较利于开展面粉强化工作。     

The gathering and consumption of wild edible plants in the Campoo (Cantabria,Spain)

This paper discusses the traditional consumption of wild edible plants in the rural communities of the Campoo (Cantabria), a region in northern Spain. Through semi-structured interviews with key informants, data on the perception, gathering, preparation and use of 60 edible wild plant species were collected. Social, economic and cultural factors need to be taken into account when trying to understand why some wild foods and traditional vegetables continue to be consumed while others are not. Wild foods were traditionally important as a supplement to the diet (particularly during food shortages), to which they bring diversity and serve as a source of vitamins and minerals. However, only a few people who like the taste of wild species and enjoy gathering them continue to consume them. Many people consider wild food to be old fashioned, unprofitable, or too time-consuming, and prefer to cultivate or buy their food. The most frequently cited species in the region (Rumex acetosa, Origanum vulgare, Rosa canina, Vaccinium myrtillus, Crataegus monogyna and Prunus spinosa) are widely consumed in the Mediterranean area. Unusual food species, such as Pedicularis schizocalyx, Romulea bulbocodium or Viburnum lantana, have also been gathered in the study area.     

Nutrient intake of adult women in Jilin Province, China, with special reference to urban-rural differences in nutrition in the Chinese continent

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to investigate possible urban-rural differences in food intakes in Jilin province and in continental China as a whole, and to examine possible implications for nutritional status of urban and rural populations. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Communities. SUBJECTS: In total, 499 adult women in six urban sites and four rural sites, 10 sites in total, including two sites in Jilin province. METHODS: A pair of surveys were conducted in September, 1999, in the provincial capital of Changchun and a farming village in Dehui county, both in Jilin province, in northeast China. Each of 50 adult women per survey site provided a 24 h duplicate food sample and a blood sample, and had an interview on health history including anthropometry and blood pressure measurement. Nutrient intakes were estimated from the food duplicates, using national food composition tables. Results from the two sites were supplemented with data from eight sites where surveys had been conducted following the same protocol, and the pooled material were subjected to analyses for possible urban-rural differences. RESULTS: The Jilin participants consumed daily, on average, about 1600 kcal energy, 44 g protein, and 60 g lipid with a lipid energy ratio (i.e. the ratio of lipid over total nutrients in terms of energy) of 33%. When nutrient intakes were compared between the urban (i.e. Changchun) and rural (Dehui) groups, urban women consumed more energy, protein (especially animal protein) and lipid than rural women. Similar examination of data from six urban and four rural sites, including the present two, showed that adult women in urban areas eat more animal protein and animal fat than their counterparts in villages, and suggested that the observation on urban rural difference in Jilin province can be extrapolated to a nationwide scale. CONCLUSIONS: Urban rural differences in nutrient intakes still persist in 1999 not only in Jilin but in other provinces, typically in the terms of intakes of animal-based foods.     

Wild Foods from Farm and Forest in the East Usambara Mountains,Tanzania

This study explored the role of wild foods in the diets of children and mothers in the East Usambara Mountains (N?=?274 dyads). We identified 92 wild food species. Although dietary diversity (most measures) was not different between seasons, wild foods accounted for a greater percentage of items consumed in the wet (food insecure) season. Many wild foods were obtained on farm; wild foods obtained from the forest accounted for less than 3% of food items consumed. Wild foods were used by virtually all informants but contributed only 2% of total energy in the diet. However, they contributed large percentages of vitamin A (RAE) (31%), vitamin C (20%), and iron (19.19%). Agricultural factors (e.g., hours spent in farm) were associated with greater wild food use. These findings suggest participation in agriculture may be important for the maintenance of wild food use, and that wild foods can play an important role in the nutritional resilience of local people.     

Plasma total homocysteine in Mexican rural and urban women fed typical model diets

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present work was to determine the fasting plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels and the time-course response of tHcy concentrations after the consumption of urban and rural Mexican model diets in two groups of Mexican women from urban and rural areas. METHODS: Thirty-three adult women (age range = 18-49 y) were studied. Fifteen women were from a rural community in the state of Mexico. The other 18 were from cities and consumed diets that regularly included an important amount of animal foods. The study was designed as a two-period crossover study in which subjects consumed the model urban or rural diet in a 2-wk interval. Seven milliliters of venous blood was drawn before ingestion of experimental diets (basal) to measure total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triacylglycerol, tHcy, folate, vitamin B12, and methionine. Blood samples were then obtained 30, 60, 90, 180, and 240 min after the beginning of meal consumption. RESULTS: The rural and urban groups showed similar concentrations of tHcy 4 h after meal consumption and after fasting. However, the urban and rural groups had higher methionine plasma concentrations after the urban diet than after the rural diet. In contrast, there was no significant difference in methionine plasma levels between the rural and urban groups with each diet. Those women with low tHcy concentrations maintained those values over the study period, and those with high tHcy concentrations maintained those values. There was no significant difference in tHcy concentrations due to consumption of the two diets (P = 0.31) or the interaction between population and diet (P = 0.84). However, there was a significant difference in the concentration of tHcy between the rural (8.73 +/- 0.17 microM/L) and the urban (9.27 +/- 0.13 microM/L) populations (P = 0.01). In both groups, average tHcy concentration was in the normal range. In both populations, the nutrition status for folate and vitamin B12 was adequate, although plasma folate concentration was significantly lower in the rural population than in the urban population (P < 0.01). Plasma vitamin B12 concentrations were similar in both groups. No subject had low plasma vitamin B12. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma tHcy concentrations in rural and urban Mexican women were within the range considered adequate; however, urban women showed significant higher concentrations than did rural women independently of the consumed diet and the plasma methionine concentration. These results indicated that there is no short-term variation in plasma tHcy due to the consumption of rural or urban diets.     

Access to Healthful Foods among an Urban Food Insecure Population: Perceptions versus Reality

The influence of local food environments on the risk for obesity is important overall, but may be particularly important for food insecure populations in urban settings. Access to healthful foods is most limited among racial and ethnic minorities and low-income populations; these same populations experience the highest rates of obesity and food insecurity. Few valid and reliable measures have been developed to assess the quality of local food environments. This research addresses this gap by introducing an inventory for measuring self-reported perceptions of food access and then compares the perceptions measure to objective assessments of local food environments. Data are focused on an urban population experiencing disproportionate rates of food insecurity. The four-item perceptions of food access inventory had high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.80). Participants’ perceptions of access to healthful foods mirrored the reality of their food environment; however, perceptions of access to alcohol and tobacco were less accurate. Findings suggest that people living in low-income, urban, minority, and food insecure communities can validly assess (in)access to healthful foods. Future research is needed to further validate the perceptions of food access measure introduced and, more importantly, to develop strategies for increasing access to healthful foods in food insecure contexts.     

Environmental change in Northern Thailand: Impact on wild edible plant availability

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine motivations for use of food venues among 23 urban and rural women from eastern North Carolina. Women were eligible if they cared for children, were non-Hispanic black or white, and were English speakers. Interviews elicited participants' decisions for food venue use. Reasons for use of supermarkets were low cost, convenient location, quality/availability of specific foods, and customer service. Main reasons for use of supercenters were bulk foods at low prices and one-stop shopping. Rural and urban nonworking women shopped more frequently at discount superstores compared to urban working women.     

A Community-Based Approach to Integrating Socio,Cultural and Environmental Contexts in the Development of a Food Database for Indigenous and Rural Populations: The Case of the Batwa and Bakiga in South-Western Uganda

Comprehensive food lists and databases are a critical input for programs aiming to alleviate undernutrition. However, standard methods for developing them may produce databases that are irrelevant for marginalised groups where nutritional needs are highest. Our study provides a method for identifying critical contextual information required to build relevant food lists for Indigenous populations. For our study, we used mixed-methods study design with a community-based approach. Between July and October 2019, we interviewed 74 participants among Batwa and Bakiga communities in south-western Uganda. We conducted focus groups discussions (FGDs), individual dietary surveys and markets and shops assessment. Locally validated information on foods consumed among Indigenous populations can provide results that differ from foods listed in the national food composition tables; in fact, the construction of food lists is influenced by multiple factors such as food culture and meaning of food, environmental changes, dietary transition, and social context. Without using a community-based approach to understanding socio-environmental contexts, we would have missed 33 commonly consumed recipes and foods, and we would not have known the variety of ingredients’ quantity in each recipe, and traditional foraged foods. The food culture, food systems and nutrition of Indigenous and vulnerable communities are unique, and need to be considered when developing food lists.     

Development of food frequency questionnaires and a nutrient database for the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) pilot study in South India: methodological issues

PURPOSE: To develop Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) and nutrient databases for urban and rural Indian populations with diverse dietary habits for the PURE (Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological) pilot study. PROCEDURE: 24 hour dietary recalls were obtained from 84 rural and 60 urban subjects. From a comprehensive food list, separate FFQs were developed for the two groups. Nutrient analysis of the FFQ required the selection of foods, development of recipes and application of these to cooked foods to develop a nutrient database. The FFQs were piloted in 80 urban and 77 rural subjects. Separately for each group, a stepwise regression method was used to identify foods contributing to a cumulative 90% of variance to total energy intake. Nutrient and food group intakes were compared using an independent t-test. MAIN FINDINGS: The urban and the rural FFQs contained 129 and 102 foods respectively, of which 82 foods were common to both. Fourteen urban foods and eight rural foods explained a cumulative 90% of variance for total energy intake. Daily intakes for most nutrients and food groups were two to three fold higher in the urban than in the rural group. CONCLUSIONS: In Indian populations with diverse dietary habits, using standard methods to develop separate FFQs can capture dietary intakes adequately. To develop nutrient databases, substitution of local food composition tables with data from other sources using standard methods to match foods can be adopted.     

Dietary Change and Obesity Associated with Glucose Intolerance in Alaska Natives

Objective To investigate frequency of food intake, body weight, and glucose intolerance in Alaska Natives.Design Height, weight, and random blood glucose levels were measured and a frequency-of-food-intake questionnaire was obtained. This questionnaire classified persons as consumers of indigenous foods or nonindigenous foods within three food groups. Those with a random blood glucose measurement ≥6.72 mmol/L received an oral glucose tolerance test.Setting Community screening in 15 villages in Alaska.Subjects Nutrition screenings were done for 1,124 Alaska Native residents aged 20 years or older. An oral glucose tolerance test was done for 202 subjects.Outcomes measured Subjects were classified as consumers of indigenous or nonindigenous foods within three food groups. A diagnosis of non–insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) was made on the basis of World Health Organization criteria. A determination of overweight was made on the basis of National Center for Health Statistics criteria.Statistical analysis A χ² test with Yates correction, t test, and linear regression, with two-sided P values.Results Athabascan Indians had twice the rate of NIDDM as Yup’ik Eskimos with significantly higher frequency of non-indigenous food intake, plus lower frequency of indigenous carbohydrate and fat intake. Subjects ≤30 years old consumed significantly more nonindigenous protein and fat and low-nutrient-density carbohydrates than those ≥60 years old. Persons who had glucose intolerance reported significantly greater consumption of nonindigenous protein and less seal oil. Incidence of overweight was significantly higher than was found 25 years ago. Participants with glucose intolerance were significantly more overweight than others.Conclusion A pattern of increased frequency of non-indigenous protein, low-nutrient-density carbohydrate, and fat intake with less indigenous carbohydrate and fat consumption was found in subjects ≤30 years old and in association with the higher rate of NIDDM found in the Athabascan Indians. Persons with glucose intolerance were significantly more overweight than others.Applications Although the nutritional value of indigenous foods for reducing disease risk should be promoted, nutrition education, especially among young adults, should also include building skills to select and prepare nonindigenous foods to attain a healthful diet. Although snacking is a concern, dietary fat was the most significant factor in obesity and NIDDM. J Am Diet Assoc. 1995; 95:676-682.     

Development of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to determine variation in nutrient intakes between urban and rural areas of Chongqing, China

Nationwide surveys of food and nutrient intake in China have revealed geographical variation between urban and rural areas. This study developed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (SQFFQ) for cancer risk assessment suitable for both urban and rural populations by conducting a survey of food intake in Chongqing, China. We recruited 100 urban and 104 rural healthy residents aged from 35 to 55 years in Chongqing, and collected dietary data with 3-day weighed records to assist in the development of the SQFFQ. The intake of 35 nutrients was calculated according to Standard Food Composition Tables for China and Japan. For each nutrient estimated by percentage contribution analysis (CA) and multiple regression analysis (MRA), foods with up to a 90% contribution or a 0.90 cumulative R(2) were selected as items for SQFFQs. The food items of the combined SQFFQ were selected from all items listed in either urban or rural SQFFQs. Mean intake of energy, protein and carbohydrate did not differ between the urban and rural residents. The latter consumed more fat than their urban counterparts. We selected 119 food items for the combined SQFFQ, comprising 22 specific items for the urban SQFFQ, 6 for the rural, and 78 common and 13 additional items. The combined SQFFQ covered 33 nutrients with up to a 90% contribution in each area. We were able to develop a data-based SQFFQ that can estimate nutrient intake of both urban and rural populations, with suitable coverage rates. Further reliability and reproducibility tests are now needed to assess its applicability.     

Report

Household food procurement strategies, preservation methods and intake frequency of contemporary and traditional foods were examined in the Eastern Cherokee township of Snowbird. In addition to purchasing food, 98.6 percent of households obtained food using traditional acquisition strategies such as gardening and gathering wild foods. Home food preservation was practiced in 97.2 percent of homes. Most common preservation methods were canning, freezing and drying. Estimates of food intake frequency indicate a variety of foods were eaten in Snowbird homes. Types of foods consumed were similar to those for the general United States population. However, native Cherokee foods were part of this group's diet.     

Development of a Food-Based Diet Quality Scale for Brazilian Schoolchildren Using Item Response Theory

Item response theory (IRT) is a psychometric method that provides probabilistic model-based measurements. Its use is relatively recent in the assessment of food consumption, especially through dietary assessment tools. This study aims (1) to develop a food-based diet quality scale for Brazilian schoolchildren using IRT, and (2) to apply the scale to a representative sample of schoolchildren from a Southern Brazilian city. The scale was developed with daily consumption frequency of foods from 835 students who completed the Food Intake and Physical Activity of Schoolchildren questionnaire. Questionnaire foods were grouped into 10 items according to their nutritional similarities and were evaluated by full-information factor analysis that indicated a dominant factor explaining 28% of the variance. Psychometric item analysis was performed using Samejima’s model. The scale covered all levels of diet quality, from “very poor” (scores < 95) to “very good” (scores ≥ 130). Children who had higher diet quality scores consumed beans, meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and water more frequently, while reducing the consumption of ultraprocessed sugary foods, ultraprocessed savoury snacks and sausages, and sugary drinks. Of 6323 children, an average of less than 10% consumed the highest diet quality scores (good or very good diet quality) and about 60% of children consumed low diet quality scores. The scale can be applied to other schoolchildren with the same measure precision.     

Breakfast food patterns among urban and rural Croatian schoolchildren

The aim of this study was to report breakfast food patterns among the rural and urban Croatian schoolchildren in the post-war socioeconomic changes. A quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire was used. Subjects were 7-18 year old schoolchildren (815 from urban and 375 from rural areas). The average energy intake was 27.5 and 23.0% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) in the urban and rural area respectively. Urban subjects tend to choose healthier options when older, while the rural subjects displayed the opposite (significantly correlated age with energy intake (% RDA) and dietary fibre intake (% of 'age + 5' rule). The same applied to age versus iron intake (urban positive, rural negative correlation). Breakfasts providing 20-30% RDA for energy and more than 300 mg of calcium were consumed by 20.7 and 32.4% of the urban and rural subjects respectively. Cereal products and milk and dairy products were the major breakfast constituents everywhere. Meat and its products, and eggs seem to be uncommon breakfast foods. The urban subjects had a more adequate energy intake at breakfast, but better food choices were observed among rural subjects.     

广东省潮汕地区半定量食物频率调查表的制定

目的制定潮汕地区的半定量食物频率调查表,为饮食与疾病之间的医学研究提供工具。方法以潮州、汕头(包括南澳县)城乡地区为中心随机抽取若干家庭,并以家庭为单位,以3 d食物称重记录法进行膳食调查,建立潮汕地区城乡家庭膳食资料数据库;在以各种食物提供的营养素量为基础进行食物种类筛选的基础上,再以逐步进入法进行多元回归分析对初选食物项目进行再次筛选,并确定食物的频度、食用量。结果共有417个家庭完成调查(城市200个,农村217个),其3 d消耗的食物种类512种,其中城市443种,农村417种。初次筛选出的食物种类数城市194种,农村183种,城乡合计233种;再次筛选结果为城市157种,农村160种,城乡合计196种;最后125种食物被包括在半定量食物频率调查表中,每种食物对应有7个层次的摄入频率和6个层次的食用量。半定量食物频率调查表中的食物项目提供的营养素覆盖率平均超过90%。结论以417个城乡家庭膳食资料为基础建立潮汕地区食物“金标准”数据库并以该数据库资料为依据,按照系统方法和步骤制定潮汕地区食物半定量食物频率调查表是切实可行的。