Frequency of use of school cafeterias in middle and high schools in 3 French districts

Reports from the French Ministry of Education warn of a decrease in the use of school food services, especially in sensitive urban areas. They also suggest that this decline has led to cases of malnutrition. This article describes the characteristics of the current supply of school meals and measures the evolution of demand observed between 1992 and 1996 in relation to the economic situation of students' families. The study was carried out in 3 departments in France: Doubs, Herault, and Val de Marne. The administrators of all public and private middle and high schools in the 3 departments received a questionnaire asking them to describe the services offered in their cafeterias and to provide the corresponding statistical and accounting data. External food services near the schools were also taken into account. Seventy-nine percent of schools responded to the survey. Concerning the services offered, 91% of schools have their own cafeterias, of which 81% are managed by the schools. Concerning the evolution of utilisation, a significant decrease in the number of meals served in seen in middle schools. On the other hand, high schools have observed stable utilisation. The positive changes in utilisation are linked, in middle schools, to characteristics of the schools' internal food services (self-service, choice of main courses, modulation of seats). In high schools, positive changes in the utilisation of school services are linked to the lack of external food services near the schools. As middle schools and high schools control the logistics and management of food services offered to students, they are potentially in a position to influence a policy on this issue. The evolution in utilisation is very different among departments and between middle and high schools. While economic precariousness has a negative structural effect on utilisation, it doesn't seem to be a major factor in the evolution of the decrease observed over the past few years.     

Fat and fatty acids chosen in chocolates content

The objective of present work was to comparison of fat and chosen fatty acid in chocolates with, approachable on national market. In the investigations on fat and fatty acids content in the milk chocolates, there were used 14 chocolates, divided into 3 groups either without, with supplements and stuffing. Crude fat content in the chocolates was determined on Soxhlet automatic apparatus. The saturated ad nsaturated acids content was determined using gas chromatographic method. Content of fat and fatty cids in chocolates were differentiation. The highest crude fat content was finding in chocolates with tuffing (31.8%) and without supplements (28.9%). The sum of saturated fatty acids content in fat above 62%) was highest and low differentiation in the chocolates without supplements. Among of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids depended from kind of chocolates dominated, palmitic, stearic, oleic and, linoleic acids. Supplements of nut in chocolates had on influence of high oleic and linoleic level     

Fat and fatty acids intake of adults in eastern Croatia

The objective of this work was to determine dietary intake of total fat and fatty acids in adults in eastern Croatia. Thirty nine participants (25 women and 14 men) took part in a duplicate diet study. Total fat was extracted from the duplicated portions using a method by Bligh and Dyer, and fatty acids were determined using a GC analysis after methylation with boron trifluoride. Mean fat and fatty acids intakes for all subjects expressed as percentage of daily energy intake (% E) were: 33.4%, 9.9%, 11.8%, 9.0%, and 0.7% for total fat, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and trans fatty acids, respectively. The differences between sexes were not significant when expressed as % E. Also, a very low intake of linolenic acid (0.5% E), and a high linoleic acid/linolenic acid ratio (17.1), were noted. Because of the health implications of such an imbalance, further research on the prevalence of this in general population is warranted. Nevertheless, these results indicate a need for a more aggressive education of the public on health benefits of n-3 fatty acids and on their dietary sources.     

Calcium content in the whole-day food rations of primary school children in Bialystok and vicinity

Randomly selected 354 primary school pupils aged 9 and 14 from Bia?ystok and its vicinity gave a 24-hour feeding history. Calcium diet content was evaluated in the children. The values obtained were referred to the recommended standard of Ca intake according to age and sex. It was found that Ca supply in daily food rations of children in Bia?ystok and suburbs is most insufficient, and the 9-year-old children's place of living had a significant effect on the calcium content in diets.     

Epicondylitis among cooks in nursery schools

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of epicondylitis among cooks in nursery schools in a cross sectional study because they are suspected to have strenuous workloads on the hands and arms. METHODS: Prevalence of epicondylitis among 209 nursery school cooks and 366 control workers aged 40-59 were studied. Both groups consisted of women workers chosen from 1299 subjects who agreed to participate from 1329 social welfare employees in a city. All workers were interviewed with a questionnaire and had a clinical examination of the tenderness to palpation of epicondyles and epicondylar pain provoked by resisted extension and flexion of the wrist. RESULTS: Nursery school cooks had a significantly higher prevalence of epicondylitis (11.5%) than the controls (2.5%). In a logistic regression model, job title of the cook was also found to have a strong association with epicondylitis (odds ratio (OR) 5.4, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.4 to 11.9) after adjustment for age, body length, and body mass index. Weaker associations were also found between epicondylitis and suspected job stress or workload scores for mechanical workload and psychosocial stressors based on factor analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study supported the hypothesis that nursery school cooks had a higher prevalence of epicondylitis than other workers with less strenuous hand and arm tasks. It was suggested that risk factors of epicondylitis would be multifactorial, including mechanical workload and psychosocial factors.

 

     

''Flitting'' in nursery school children

Summary This study is concerned with the social and cognitive behaviour of 4-year-old children in nursery school who exhibit frequent change of activity. Using observational methods supported by data from intelligence and language tests, the high flitters, the majority of whom were boys, received less adult attention, preferred the company of one other child, and performed less well intellectually. The role of adults in identifying and handling these children is briefly referred to.     

Staff attitudes and perceptions in multicultural nursery schools

School policies and staff attitudes/perceptions regarding ethnic minority children were examined as part of a broader investigation into adult-child interaction styles in multi-cultural nursery schools. Headteachers and staff conveyed considerable uncertainty regarding ethnic minority children, both in terms of policies and practice. Attitudes were frequently over-generalised, superficial and lacking in insight. While it was generally acknowledged that ethnic minority children had problems with language, staff tended to underestimate the extent of the difficulties experienced by individual children, their perceptions being dominated by behavioural difficulties. The findings are discussed in the context of the system of nursery school organisation, and the implications for the quality of staff-child interactions are considered.     

Intentions underlying practice in nursery schools and classes

The tradition which prescribes “good practice” within nursery education makes it difficult to examine anything other than the “surface curriculum” (Bussis et al1976). In this study, qualitative analysis of focussed interviews with twenty four nursery teachers indicates that many of the teachers faced a number of dilemmas in implementing a nursery curriculum, and in relating theory to practice. A curriculum placing heavy emphasis on sound relationships is evident at every level of nursery life. Teachers make both longand short-term plans within the nursery while at the same time seeking to extend children's interests in a variety of ways. They also strive to observe and record children's development and progress as effectively as possible.     

Trans fatty acids in the New Zealand food supply

Adverse health effects from the consumption of trans fatty acids (TFA) have led to efforts to decrease the consumption of these lipids. There is a need for up to date information on TFA levels in foods to support decision-making by regulators on labelling and health claims. This paper reports the results from a 2006 survey of New Zealand manufactured food items for fatty acid content, including TFA, determined using gas chromatography. The TFA levels in snack bars, margarines/table spreads, biscuits and cakes, pies and pastries were all below 10 g/100 g fatty acids (less than 3.5 g/100 g product). Also reported are results from a 1998 survey of margarines and table spreads which are compared with those from a previously published 1996 survey conducted by the same organisation. The conclusion is that the TFA content of foods in New Zealand has declined over the previous decade, with a likely decrease in consumption of these lipids by New Zealanders.     

Trans fatty acids — Determination in food fats

Trans fatty acids are formed during the catalytic hydrogenation of animal and vegetable oils and occur naturally in dairy and ruminant tissue fats. Numerous studies have been made of the physiological effects of these acids.¹ Recently, the COMA report on “Diet and Cardiovascular Disease”² recommended the inclusion of a combined trans and saturated fatty acid contents in labelling of fatty foods. The analysis of trans fatty acids in widely differing food fats is by no means straightforward and the choice of analytical method needs careful consideration. Techniques including infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography and argentation chromatography are described in this review. The infrared technique is the most suitable for labelling purposes, being rapid, simple, reproducible and applicable to all food fats including those containing hydrogenated fish oils. It is suggested that the IUPA C Official Method³ should be specified in any labelling regulations to ensure the reliability of the data and to facilitate comparison of figures produced by different laboratories.     

多不饱和脂肪酸与儿童食物过敏

在过去的20年里,食物过敏在全球范围内变得越来越普遍,迫切需要有效的预防治疗方法,而多不饱和脂肪酸可以影响人体的免疫反应,尤其是n-3多不饱和脂肪酸,可以通过“抑制炎症”的作用防止免疫紊乱的发展。本篇综述从食物过敏的影响因素出发,探讨了多不饱和脂肪酸与儿童食物过敏之间的关系,总结了目前关于多不饱和脂肪酸与食物过敏之间的研究成果,旨在为儿童食物过敏的防治提供新思路。