Ernährungswissen und Ernährungsverhalten

Background

Unfavourable nutritional behaviour is common among students in Germany, indeed in the whole German population. Intervention studies to investigate the effects of imparting nutritional knowledge to nutritional behaviour used diverse methods. Moreover the period of investigation was short and studies of this type have provided inconsistent results.

Objective

A controlled intervention study was conducted to analyze the long-term effects of nutrition-related studies on nutritional knowledge and the nutritional behaviour of female university students.

Materials and methods

Female students at the University of Education in Schwäbisch Gmünd were divided by course at the beginning of their studies: nutrition-related courses (intervention group: IG, n = 55), other courses of studies (control group: CG, n = 22). Theory- and practice-orientated nutritional knowledge and nutritional behaviour (food intake, Indicator Food Index) were assessed using a standardized questionnaire at the beginning and after two years of studies. Intervention effects were analyzed by two-way repeated measures analysis of variance.

Results

The theory- and practice-orientated nutritional knowledge of the IG increased compared to the CG (both: p < 0.001). Changes in food intake were an increased vegetable intake (p < 0.01) and a decreased fast food consumption (p < 0.01) within the IG compared to CG. The Indicator Food Index did not change.

Conclusions

Although nutrition-related studies are accompanied by a significant increase in nutritional knowledge, effects on nutritional behaviour are sparse. It can be speculated that acquired nutritional knowledge could be implemented into every day action although with a delay. Furthermore, the results show that long-term interventions have a certain health-promoting potential in sensitive phases of life.

     

Bildung, ausgewählte Ernährungseinstellungen und Ernährungsverhalten

Background

Social inequalities in nutrition are observed, but the causes still have to be clarified. This study focuses on nutrition attitudes as mediator. We investigate whether there are social inequalities in selected nutrition attitudes in men and women and whether these contribute to social inequalities in nutrition behaviour.

Material and methods

Data are derived from the prospective population based Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study. Information on education, nutrition attitudes and behaviour of 4,157 men and women aged 50–80 years are stratified and analyzed using binary logistic regressions separately for men and women. Attitudes refer mainly to the relevance of healthy nutrition for chronic diseases. Behaviour is measured by consumption of vegetables, cereals and olive oil.

Results

We observe social inequalities in selected nutrition attitudes in study participants. However, social differences in nutrition behaviour are not explained by this.

Conclusion

Important attitudes regarding healthy nutrition are underrepresented in low education groups. It should continue to be an issue of health promotion that is sensitive towards socioeconomic status and gender.     

Ernährung und Arteriosklerose

International Journal of Public Health -     

Ernährungstherapie bei Nahrungsmittelallergien

A therapeutic diet is only indicated if the diagnosis of food allergy is certain. In the case of an unproven suspicion everything should be done to confirm or disprove the diagnosis by diagnostic measures (patient history, diet history, food and symptom protocol etc.). In the case of proven food allergy there are different aims of nutritional therapy. Most importantly the patient should learn how to identify his eliciting agent in pre-packed and non-prepacked food and how to avoid it. The elimination diet should take into account the individual condition of the patient. In particular, if basic foods have to be eliminated from the diet, safe alternatives have to be determined to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet and to maintain a high quality of life. To ensure the nutritional adequacy of the diet, micro- and macronutrient intake should be analysed and improved, if necessary. For pollen-associated food allergy and certain chronic conditions it might be necessary to be aware of possible triggering factors as well as potential cross-reactions. Moreover, individual tolerance should be maintained during elimination diets and not jeopardized by voluntary and unnecessary self-denial of certain foods.     

Sexualaufklärung im Internet

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Weibliche und männliche Jugendliche in Deutschland nutzen zunehmend das Internet, um sich über Sexualität und...     

Ernährungserziehung in der Grundschule

Background

The competences are derived for the nutrition education in the setting primary school. They are based on didactical considerations and public health demands

Methods

In an intervention study the effectiveness of the teaching concepts ‘Ernährungsführerschein’ and ‘Schritt für Schritt’ was evaluated. Five hundred and eighty-three children participated in the study with intervention and control groups

Results

Regarding the desired competence nutrition behaviour one concept results in highly significant improvements and shows an important effect strength

Conclusion

In the resuming discussion it is worked out that for the concept and evaluation of instruction psychological models should be used as a fundament in order to state the connection between factors such as attitude, norm, motivation or self-effectiveness and the nutrition behaviour. In the evaluation also a direct statistic proof of a behaviour change must be given, too, since only a change of the factors referred to is not sufficient.     

Soziale Ungleichheit im Ernährungsverhalten

Malnutrition is unhealthy: obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, and premature mortality are reliably associated with poor nutrition. However, literature reveals that some population groups are at higher risk of poor nutrition than others. More specifically, evidence shows that people with low social status are more likely to have poor nutrition than those with higher status, what may contribute to health inequalities. In this article, selected reviews and meta-analyses on social inequalities in nutrition are presented. By showing current data from the Second National Food Consumption Study, the situation in Germany is highlighted. Further, potential causes of social inequalities in nutrition are discussed, drawing on the results of current research. More specifically, socioeconomic and structural deprivation (e.g., poverty, living in deprived neighborhoods) in addition to unfavorable psychosocial (e.g., poor knowledge of nutrition, low levels of social support) and sociocultural factors (e.g., unfavorable nutritional traditions) might be associated with poor nutrition in people with low social status. Interventions promoting nutritional quality in disadvantaged groups should take into account the various influences on nutrition and meet good practice criteria for health promotion. Using three examples of interventions, conceivable concrete measures that can reduce social inequalities in nutrition are presented.     

Jodmangelprophylaxe durch richtige Ernährung

Background

Over the last decade, the iodine supply in Germany has increased significantly, although it is still insufficient or below the optimal recommended level. There are two ways of ensuring a sustainable prevention of iodine deficiency diseases: directly by universal table salt iodization and indirectly by iodized mineral-feed supplements via milk.

Methods

The iodine content of retail milk (1.5% and 3.5% fat) and cow’s milk obtained directly from farmers was analysed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry.

Results

The average content of iodine in farmer’s milk amounted to 178±131 µg/l. The mean iodine content of retail milk differed only within a small range from 2005 to 2007 (140–200 µg/l). Organically produced milk was poorer in iodine than conventional milk.

Discussion

Milk and dairy products represent the key source of iodine in the German diet (~40%). The importance of iodized table salt as well as seafood for an optimal iodine supply has been discussed. Supplementation of food should exclude any direct fortification with iodine except for table salt. The two alternatives for iodine exposure, via direct iodization of table salt and via the food chain, require permanent monitoring to avoid a deficiency or excess of iodine.     

Gesundheitliche Aufklärung als Risikokommunikation

Those seeking to educate the public about health need to communicate health risks effectively. This involves providing evidence-based information about factors and behaviors that are dangerous to people’s health and making recommendations regarding how risks can be avoided or minimized. This communication usually aims to motivate people to act in a way that promotes health or prevents disease. Organized ‘health education’ that seeks to communicate risks is always embedded in a contextual framework that in turn influences the issues and content to be communicated and the form of communication that is chosen. The scope of available scientific knowledge is an important part of this framework as is the extent to which risks are presented in the media as being dangerous. The media’s message has a strong influence on how the public and specific subgroups within it react. The article describes conditions that contribute to successful risk communication based on the example of HIV/AIDS prevention. We chose this particular case because it can serve as an example of how to deal with future epidemics that may potentially generate substantial media coverage. This field report shows how risk communication about HIV/AIDS in the mass media in Germany in the mid-1980s elicited a risk consciousness among the general public that in itself was in danger of becoming a health risk, especially for people affected by the disease, and how ‘health education’ responded to this challenge. It concludes by describing how these experiences with risk communication can be applied to similar types of risk communication today.     

HIV: Prävention und Aufklärung

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Ernährung und ernährungsbezogener Unterricht in der Schule

Nutrition behavior usually becomes manifest during childhood and once learned food patterns and eating habits are often maintained for the rest of life. Therefore, imparting knowledge early about food composition, food habits, nutritional physiology, and connections between health and nutrition as well as instilling competence in dealing with food are of particular importance. In the EiS project, it was recently shown that fewer students than ever obtain less and less nutrition education in German schools. Promoting healthy eating is not only a matter of nutritional knowledge. It is also very much about creating a healthy environment and providing proper food, drinks, and meal service in schools. Therefore, both aspects will be discussed in the following article.     

Ernährungs- und lebensstilbedingte Erkrankungen bei Kindern

The European IDEFICS (Identification and Prevention of Dietary- and Lifestyle-induced Health Effects in Children and Infants) Study investigates risk factors of diet- and lifestyle-related diseases in children focusing on overweight, obesity and related metabolic co-morbidities based on a standardized study protocol. In parallel, the IDEFICS study developed, implemented and evaluated strategies for the primary prevention of diet- and lifestyle-related diseases in a controlled, community-oriented design. The prospective cohort study started with a baseline survey from September 2007 to May 2008 in eight European countries, with Germany among them. During the first survey 2,065 German children aged 2-9 years passed a comprehensive examination program. Their parents answered questions on sociodemographic characteristics; media consumption; dietary, activity and sleep patterns; as well as family life and the residential environment. The results of the study will contribute to the development of harmonized European guidelines on diet and lifestyle for health promotion and disease prevention in children.     

Frühkindliche Ernährung und späteres Adipositasrisiko1

Metabolic factors acting during limited and sensitive time periods of pre- and postnatal development can induce lasting effects on health and disease risk in later life up to old age, including later obesity risk, which is referred to as early metabolic programming of long-term health. Three meta-analyses of observational studies found that obesity risk at school age was reduced with early breastfeeding compared to formula feeding. We assumed that breastfeeding protects against later obesity by reducing the occurrence of high weight gain in infancy and that one causative factor is the lower protein content of human milk compared to usual infant formulas (the “early protein hypothesis”). We are testing this hypothesis in the European Childhood Obesity Project, a double-blind, randomized clinical trial enrolling 1,678 infants in five countries (Belgium, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain). We have randomized healthy infants born at term to receive for the first year infant formula and follow-on formula with higher or lower protein contents, respectively. The follow-up data obtained at age 2 years indicates that feeding formula with reduced protein content normalizes early growth relative to a breastfed reference group and the current WHO growth standard, which may furnish a significant long-term protection against later obesity. We conclude that infant feeding practice has a high potential for long-term health effects. The results obtained should stimulate the review of recommendations and policies for infant formula composition.     

Der Stellenwert gesundheitsbewusster Ernährungsbildung in der Schule

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Übergewicht, auch bei Kindern und Jugendlichen, stellt national wie international ein großes Problem dar, welches stark...     

Tabakprävention der Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung

The sharp increase of adolescent tobacco consumption between 1990 and 2001 and the national health target “reducing tobacco consumption” were two main reasons for the increased prevention measures of the Federal Center for Health Education in promoting non-smoking among young people. This article focuses on the offers and measures of the “smoke-free” youth campaign from the Federal Center for Health Education. To promote non-smoking in adolescence, the Federal Center for Health Education started the “smoke-free” youth campaign in 2002 and has continuously expanded it through the present. The campaign is based on a goal-oriented planning process and is predominantly directed towards adolescents younger than 18 years. To achieve national effects in the target group, concerted measures ranging from mass media (television/cinema spots, advertisement), internet, and face-to-face communication – with a focus on school – were implemented. Simultaneous with the start of the “smoke-free” youth campaign in 2001, there is evidence for continuous reduction of the smoking prevalence of adolescents. The rate of smoking adolescents between 12 and 17 years decreased from 28% in 2001 to 15% in 2008, thus, reaching an all-time low.     

Ernährungsalltag von Familien in sozial benachteiligten Lebenslagen

Background

A balanced diet is regarded as meaningful for the health of people. Foundations for a healthy diet are established in childhood and families. Therefore, nutritional prevention should start as early as possible and include important reference persons of the children.

Method

The aim of this qualitative study was to examine the diet routine of parents and children in disadvantaged situations. For this purpose, 17parents with kindergarten children were questioned by using semistructured interviews. Parents were asked about the daily routine in the family diet, about the background of the family eating behaviors and activities, and their perceptions regarding nutrition-related activities of the day care centers.

Results

Results show that parents report on many positive influences of day care centers on the diet behavior of children. Changes of the family diet routine are less associated with the day care center but rather with biographical changes, such as motherhood.

Conclusion

It was shown that day care centers can influence the diet behavior of the family involving children as a communication channel.