Development of a Protocol to Assess Dietary Intake Among Hispanics who Have Low Literacy Skills in English

Hispanic adults who had low literacy in English (n=143) and who attended community college English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes, completed 24-hour dietary recalls using version 2.5 of the computerized Minnesota Nutrition Data System (NDS), which included many Hispanic foods. The purposes of our study were to assess the appropriateness of NDS for a Hispanic group who had low literacy in English, to describe the development and implementation of training procedures for NDS interviewers, and to discuss the special problems that occurred using the enhanced version of NDS. Further, nutrient intakes for the study population, as calculated using NDS, were compared with nutrient estimates from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES). Results suggest that version 2.5 of NDS is a useful tool for collecting dietary information for Hispanics who have low literacy in English. Challenges encountered during data collection for this study could be categorized into three types: regional differences in foods, food preparation differences, and lack of appropriate options in NDS for preparation methods. Generally, the study group and HHANES participants had similar intakes, although the study group tended to have a more healthful nutrition profile. Overall, findings indicate that NDS is a promising assessment tool for nutrition practitioners who work with Hispanics who have low literacy in English. Continued improvements to the NDS system can correct its shortcomings related to regional/ cultural food differences. J Am Diet Assoc. 1996; 96: 1276-1279.     

Development and Validation of the Cholesterol-Saturated Fat Index (CSI) Scorecard: A Dietary Self-Monitoring Tool

Objective The Cholesterol-Saturated Fat Index (CSI) Scorecard was developed and tested as a self-monitoring tool for patients consuming a cholesterol-lowering diet.Subjects/design Twelve nutritionists used the CSI Score-card to estimate the CSI score of the same five food records. Subsequently, using a revised tool, 12 subjects with hyper-cholesterolemia estimated the CSI score of their 4-day food records and 11 participated in evaluation meetings.Statistical analyses Two-tailed, one-sample t tests and the Spearman p correlation test were used, respectively, to compare CSI Scorecard estimates of nutritionists and participants to CSI scores obtained from computer calculations.Results The CSI scores estimated by the nutritionists were close to the computed scores at the 25th and 75th food record percentiles. The correlation of the estimated CSI scores of participants to the computed scores was r_s=.8 (P<.05).Application The CSI Scorecard is a new, simple, quick, and accurate dietary self-monitoring tool patients can use in research centers and primary care settings. By numerically illustrating the saturated fat and cholesterol content of foods, the CSI Scorecard facilitates dietary self-monitoring and, thus, self-efficacy in the adoption and maintenance of a cholesterol-lowering dietary pattern. J Am Diet Assoc. 1996; 96:132-136.     

Relationships among education, dentate status, and diet in adults

The Nutrition and Oral Health Study (NOHS) was established to study the interrelationship of oral health status, dietary intake, and education, and to define their relative impact on the middle aged and elderly. Two hundred forty-seven partially or fully dentate (at least 6 teeth) subjects returned two food diaries over a 16-month period. Despite the investigators' efforts to enroll from a socio-economically diverse Boston population, the volunteers were health-conscious, with 85% having been to the dentist within the last year; 95% brushed, and 60% flossed daily. More than half the volunteers had attended college. With the exception of cholesterol intake, which was high in both the higher- and lower-educated males, most individuals, despite their dentate status, sought good nutrition. People who wore dentures consumed more refined carbohydrates and sucrose. As the number of teeth declined, Vitamin A, crude fiber, and calcium declined, while cholesterol rose. These factors may have a significant implication for general health .     

Clinical applications of two detection systems for HIV using saliva

The purpose of this research was to determine if the accuracy of HIV saliva and serum test results were influenced by changes in collection sites. In order to do so, serum and saliva samples were collected from 615 subjects in eight different geographic settings. The oral fluid collection/testing systems utilized were the Orapette SalivaCard HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody test (Trinity Biotech, Ireland) and the Omni-SAI/Immuno Comb II HIV 1 & 2 Saliva Test (Orgenics Ltd, Israel). For comparison, serum samples were tested by ELISA (Ortho) with reactive results confirmed via HIV-1 and HIV-2 Western blots (Biotech/Dupont, Institute Pasteur). The HIV serum and oral fluid collections were conducted in numerous test sites, which provided a great diversity in temperature, lighting and physical layout. The tests proved to be 99.8% and 100% specific, and both were 100% sensitive, regardless of the physical setting of the collections. While these systems are not currently available in the US, this study clearly demonstrates they can accurately be utilized in a variety of clinical settings, providing great promise for future applications.