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.

     

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.     

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.     

Digitale Gesundheitskompetenz von Schülerinnen und Schülern. Ausprägung und Assoziationen mit dem Bewegungs- und Ernährungsverhalten

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Während vermehrt Studienbefunde zur allgemeinen Gesundheitskompetenz (GK) vorliegen, mangelt es an Erkenntnissen zur...     

Der Einfluss von Geschlecht und sozialer Lage auf Ernährung und Übergewicht im Kindesalter

Overweight and adiposity in children and adolescents are increasing problems in Germany, and more and more primary and secondary prevention programs are being developed. When planning and designing prevention strategies, one should be aware of the target groups and settings. Analysis of epidemiological data for sex/gender, social class, and ethnicity indicates where there is increased need for intervention. Clearly elevated prevalence rates for overweight and adiposity can be found in socially underprivileged children, whereas findings for sex differences are inconsistent because of different systems of reference. This paper gives an overview of epidemiological data in Germany and discusses starting points for prevention. The argumentation focuses on the idea of cooperation between health,education, and social services to reach socially underprivileged children without stigmatizing them and their families.     

Ernährung,Bewegung und Substanzkonsum von Kindern und Jugendlichen

The term health behaviour combines both health-promoting and health-risk components. In this study, the health behaviour of children and adolescents in Thuringia is analysed. The database was a representative subsample of the federal state module Thuringia, which was conducted by the Robert Koch Institute as part of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) wave 1 (2010–2012; n = 4,096; 3–17 years). Health behaviour was described based on nine indicators: fruit and vegetable consumption, soft drink consumption, breakfast at home, physical activity, sport, swimming ability, alcohol consumption, smoking and water pipe consumption (shisha smoking). Prevalence and mean values with 95?% confidence intervals were reported, and based on logistic or linear regression, the significance of the group differences was examined. The results show that 43.4?% of children and adolescents in Thuringia ate fruits and vegetables daily, 44.5?% consumed soft drinks less than once a week, and 67.9?% had breakfast at home every weekday. In addition, 31.0?% of children and adolescents in Thuringia were physically active at least 60 min a day, 69.8?% did sports for at least 2 h a week, and 81.5?% can swim. Additionally, 15.9?% of adolescents in Thuringia had hazardous alcohol consumption, 14.4?% currently smoked, and 20.0?% smoked a water pipe. Differences existed with regard to gender, age, socio-economic status (SES) of the family and residence (urban/rural). In summary, many of the children and adolescents in Thuringia demonstrate relatively positive health behaviour. However, the results also indicate groups at higher risk of unhealthy behaviour, such as children and adolescents from families with low SES.     

Ein modulares Modell zur Qualitätssicherung im Medizin- und Ernährungsjournalismus

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Die Qualität medizinjournalistischer Beiträge spielt bei informierten Entscheidungen von Patienten, von politischen,...     

Ernährung und Arteriosklerose

International Journal of Public Health -     

Herausforderungen bei der Charakterisierung und der Verbesserung der Ernährungssituation im Kindes- und Jugendalter

Meeting children's nutritional needs is of fundamental importance for their immediate and later health, well-being, and performance. Age-adapted reference values of nutrient intake form the basis for analysis of the current situation and for policy planning, but for many nutrients they cannot be precisely defined due to inadequate scientific data. Therefore, such values are often extrapolated from adult reference values based on age-adapted mean body weight or body surface data, although such extrapolation does not reflect age-related physiological changes. There are considerable differences between various expert recommendations, in part also due to differences in definitions and underlying concepts for deriving reference values. Improvements and international harmonization are urgently needed. Nutritional needs of many children and adolescents are not adequately met at present. A particularly obvious indication is the epidemic-like increase of pediatric overweight and obesity, which could result in markedly increased prevalences of later metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Contributing to increasing childhood obesity are low physical activity, changing eating culture and behavior, frequent consumption of high-fat foods with high energy density, and increasing portion sizes. Changes are urgently needed and might be achievable with close collaboration between scientists, public institutions, and industry.     

Ern?hrungsverhalten und k?rperliche Aktivit?t von Schw?bisch Gm??nder Studentinnen

Background

A balanced diet and regular physical activity are important dimensions of health. There are few studies about the nutritional behaviour and physical activity of students.

Methods

Information on the nutritional behaviour and physical activity of 102 female students was obtained by a questionnaire. Food intake as well as the resulting energy and nutrient intake were assessed by a validated 3-day estimated dietary record.

Results

Compared to the German recommendations students consume considerably less vegetables as well as slightly too little fruit, grain products, dairy products and fish. In contrast, meat consumption is slightly too high. With the exception of vitamin D, folate, and iron the recommended intake levels for vitamins and minerals are achieved. Fat and protein intake are slightly above the recommended levels. Regarding physical activity students participate in sport on average 30?min/day. The recommendation of being moderately physically active for 60?min/day is achieved on average (including sports and daily routine activities: 64?min/day). Due to low daily routine activities, physical activity among students is classified as low (PAL 1.58).

Conclusion

Nutritional behaviour and physical activity of female students are roughly equivalent to the German average population and should be improved in several ways. In this context health promotion activities in the university setting are of particular importance.     

EsKiMo – Das Ernährungsmodul im Kinder- und Jugendgesundheitssurvey (KiGGS)

In a module of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS), the dietary behaviour of 6-17-year-olds was assessed from January to December 2006. The study, named EsKiMo (Eating Study as a KiGGS Module), was performed by the Robert Koch Institute together with the division of nutrition and consumer education at the University of Paderborn. It was funded by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Parents of participants younger than 12 years were asked to conduct a 3-day dietary record. Participants of 12 years and older were personally interviewed about their eating behaviour during the last four weeks using DISHES (Dietary Interview Software for Health Examination Studies). In addition, they were asked to fill in the KiGGS food frequency questionnaire a second time. Furthermore, all participants were asked about their socio-demographic background, leisure time activities, supplement use, meals at school, body weight and height. The study will provide up-to-date, representative data on the nutrition of children and adolescents in Germany. The analyses will include the amounts of foods and food groups consumed as well as the nutrient intake. By connecting these nutrition data with other health data from KiGGS, comprehensive analyses of relationships between nutrition and health are possible.     

Qualität von Biomaterialien im Biobanking von Flüssig- und Gewebeproben

During the last years, many biobanks that collect and provide biomaterials as well as associated phenotypical data have been established on national and international levels. However, due to the heterogeneity in structure and process landscape between biobanks, quality issues arise, which might affect equivalence of sample quality and thus usability of biomaterials for scientific research projects as well as interoperability of biobanks.     

Einfluss von Prüfungen auf emotionales Befinden und Ernährung?

Background

The effect of stress on student’s diet has been frequently examined. However, there is no information on the effect of emotional stress on the nutrition of bachelor students during a high-stress period (examination week).

Methods

A total of 28 bachelor students completed a questionnaire to assess academic demands, positive and negative affect and a standardized 24 h dietary recall during times of low academic stress at the beginning of the semester (baseline, t₁), and high academic stress after an examination at the end of the semester (t₂).

Results

During the high-stress period academic demands and negative affect (NA) increased significantly. The positive affect (PA) decreased significantly, mainly due to the decrease of the PA dimension joy. The nutrition intake differentiated slightly between t₁ and t₂. In nutrition there was an increased intake of protein. Furthermore the meal frequency and the consumption of nuts increased significantly. The consumption of alcoholic beverages was also significantly lower during the high-stress period.

Conclusion

Bachelor students are both subjectively and objectively stressed by increased academic demands during a high-stress period at the end of the semester. In contrast to the affect, the student’s nutrition hardly changed in the high-stress period compared to the low-stress period. This suggests nutrition is a robust behaviour during short stress periods. Further research is needed to examine eating habits during longer periods of stress to estimate its robustness.

     

Die Fujiwara-Reaktion und ihre Anwendung zur Bestimmung von Trichloräthylen in der Raumluft und von Trichloressigsäure im Harn

Ohne ZusammenfassungMit 4 Textabbildungen.     

Programme der Primärprävention von Adipositas und Übergewicht im Kindesalter

The prevalence of obesity and overweight in childhood and among adolescents is dramatically increasing worldwide with high impact on their self-esteem and on their health as adults. Therefore, effective programs for primary prevention are urgently required. The focus of these programs should not only be on nutrition but also account for the complete sociocultural environment of the child. This paper will describe some of the more important programs on the one hand and present an exemplary concept for a scientifically observed program for prevention of obesity in preschool children on the other hand. The discussion will be completed by a short overview of programs for secondary prevention. In summary, it can be concluded that no sufficiently evaluated programs for primary prevention of obesity in childhood currently exist in Germany.     

Förderung einer ausgewogenen Ernährung und körperlicher Aktivität von Kindern

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz - Voraussetzungen für eine erfolgreiche Implementierung und Aufrechterhaltung von Mehrebeneninterventionen und politischen...     

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.