Validation of a Complementary Food Frequency Questionnaire to assess infant nutrient intake

Dietary assessment in infants is challenging but necessary to understand the relationship between nutrition and growth and development. Currently no simple, validated methods exist to assess nutrient intake in New Zealand (NZ) infants. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the relative validity and reproducibility of a Complementary Food Frequency Questionnaire (CFFQ) to determine nutrient intakes of NZ infants. Ninety‐five parent–infant pairs (infant age 10 ± 1 months) completed the CFFQ twice (CFFQ‐1 and CFFQ‐2), 4 weeks apart (to assess reproducibility). A 4‐day weighed food record (4dWFR) was collected between CFFQ administrations (to assess validity). Validity and reproducibility were assessed for intakes of energy and 18 nutrients using Bland–Altman analysis, Pearson's correlation coefficients, cross‐classification, and weighted Kappa (κ). The CFFQ showed acceptable validity: Nutrients from the CFFQ were comparable with the 4dWFR (bias, 9–28%), correlation between methods ranged from r = .18 (saturated fat) to r = .81 (iron; mean r = .52), 54% (mean) of participants were correctly classified (range 39% to 67%), and 7.1% (mean) misclassified into opposite tertiles (range 2.1% to 14.7%). There was acceptable agreement between the CFFQ and 4dWFR (κ = 0.20–0.60). The CFFQ showed good reproducibility: Correlations ranged from r = .34 (folate) to r = .80 (zinc); for 16 nutrients, >50% of participants were correctly classified, and for all nutrients, <10% of participants were grossly misclassified. All nutrients showed acceptable to good agreement (κ > 0.20). The CFFQ has acceptable relative validity and good reproducibility for assessing nutrient intake in NZ infants aged 9–12 months, making it a useful tool for use in future research.     

健康相关生命质量高分组和低分组生活习惯和中医体质量表转换分比较

目的 探索健康相关生命质量高分组和低分组的生活习惯和中医体质转换分的差异。方法 从1 114例健康体检人群数据库中，分别抽取简明健康状况调查问卷（the MOS 36-item short form health survey, SF-36）的生理领域得分、心理领域得分的前27%（301例）和后27%（301例）作为高分组和低分组，比较两组的生活习惯和中医体质量表转换分。结果 SF-36生理领域和心理领域高分组和低分组的吸烟偏好比较，差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）；两组饮酒偏好、睡眠时间、中医体质量表转换分比较，差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05），其中高分组好饮酒者较多，睡眠时间为7～8 h者较多，平和质者较多，平和质转换分较高，8种偏颇体质转换分较低；心理领域高分组有运动习惯者较多（P<0.05），而生理领域高分组和低分组的运动习惯差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。结论 SF-36高分组和低分组的生活习惯和中医体质因素存在一定差异，通过改善睡眠时间、运动习惯及偏颇体质可能会提高健康相关生命质量。     

膳食炎症指数与炎症的相关性及研究进展

膳食炎症指数(DII)来源于将饮食和炎症联系起来的文献,被开发用来量化饮食的整体炎症潜能。饮食在调节慢性炎症中起着核心作用,是重要的调节因子,如果饮食的炎症潜能很高,则能够激发免疫调节作用,引起慢性炎症。DII可用于评估和指导个人饮食计划。本研究收集国外相关文献,就DII与炎症之间的相关性予以综述,以期通过减少饮食中的炎性成分而对慢性炎症引起的相关疾病进行一级预防。     

Egg Intake Has No Adverse Association With Blood Lipids Or Glucose In Adolescent Girls

Objective: Longitudinal data on cardiometabolic effects of egg intake during adolescence are lacking. The current analyses aim to evaluate the impact of usual adolescent egg consumption on lipid levels, fasting glucose, and insulin resistance during late adolescence (age 17–20?years).

Methods: Data from 1392 girls, aged 9 to 10 at baseline and followed for 10?years, in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s National Growth and Health Study were used to examine the association between usual egg intake alone and in combination with other healthy lifestyle factors and late adolescent lipid levels, fasting glucose, and insulin resistance, measured as homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Diet was assessed using 3-day food records during eight examination cycles. Girls were classified according to usual weekly egg intake, ages 9–17?years:?<1 egg/wk (n?=?361), 1 to <3 eggs/wk (n?=?703), and ≥3 eggs/wk (n?=?328). Analysis of covariance modeling was used to control for confounding by other behavioral and biological risk factors.

Results: Girls with low, moderate, and high egg intakes had adjusted low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels of 99.7, 98.8, and 95.5 mg/dL, respectively (p?=?0.0778). In combination with higher intakes of fiber, dairy, or fruits and vegetables, these beneficial effects were stronger and statistically significant. There was no evidence that ≥3 eggs/wk had an adverse effect on lipids, glucose, or HOMA-IR. More active girls who consumed ≥3 eggs/wk had the lowest levels of insulin resistance.

Conclusion: These results suggest that eggs may be included as part of a healthy adolescent diet without adverse effects on glucose, lipid levels, or insulin resistance.     

The effects of dietary modification as denned by NACNE on the eating habits of 28 people

Twenty-eight members of the general public, with little nutritional knowledge and no previous commitment to dietary change, completed 7-day-weighed dietary diaries. They then attempted to change their diets, where appropriate, in line with current nutritional guidelines.
The panel achieved changes in diet that were consistent with the recent recommendations but several problems arose. In particular, although fat levels were reduced, energy levels fell and fibre goals were not reached; in addition, certain of the initial vitamin and mineral intakes gave cause for concern. These results emphasize the importance of giving advice not only about foods that might be reduced in the diet, but also about food that might be used as alternatives. They also illustrate the difficulty of persuading people to make radical changes to their eating habits even when given personal advice from a nutritionist.
The panel was small and not necessarily representative, but the results illustrate the need for more dietary analysis studies. It is not enough simply to formulate appropriate guidelines from a nutritional point of view; it is also important to ensure that the public understands them and that people make sensible decisions about their diet.     

The effect of increasing the dietary fibre content of diets of patients with chronic renal failure treated by haemodialysis at home

The study described tested the hypothesis that increasing amounts of dietary fibre (DF) in the diet of patients on haemodialysis (HD) may achieve positive clinical benefit without adversely affecting serum potassium and plasma phosphate. The current diet of 20 home HD patients was supplemented with 15g unprocessed wheat bran incorporated into three 'bran muffins' eaten daily for a trial period of 28 days. During this period patients reported an improvement in bowel habit. Serum potassium decreased slightly but not significantly ( P =0.242) but there was a significant rise in plasma phosphate ( P =0.004). These findings suggest that when increasing DF in devising HD dietary regimes, plasma phosphate is possibly the more sensitive biochemical variable following introduction of wheat bran.     

Energy recommendations for normal weight,overweight and obese children and adolescents: are different equations necessary?

In 2002/2005, separate energy requirement equations were generated by the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Dietary Reference Intake process for normal weight and overweight/obese children and adolescents. The current paper questions the theoretical rationale of having two sets of equations (based solely on body-weight classification): when body weight is considered, overweight and obese children and adolescents do not seem to differ from their normal weight counterparts in energy expended for basal metabolism or physical activity tasks. However, energy needs for weight maintenance among overweight/obese girls were consistently higher when predicted using the equations for overweight/obese individuals compared with those developed for normal weight individuals. In contrast, among overweight/obese boys, they were consistently lower . Although the differences are within the variability of the estimates, even theoretical support for a higher energy intake (as occurs in girls) seems unwise because of the potential contribution to a higher body mass in children who are already at risk. It is the opinion of the authors that the IOM revisit the use of two separate equations and generate one set that is appropriate for all children and adolescents.