Nutritional Status Outcomes for Children: Ethnic, Cultural, and Environmental Contexts

The objective of this literature review was to explore the relationship between nutritional status outcomes among ethnically diverse children and cultural and environmental contexts. Articles from the literature on anthropometric/body composition measures, diet, and physiologic outcomes among ethnically diverse children were identified through on-line literature searches and references from articles reviewed. These studies were critically reviewed and selected if they reported findings resulting from use of accepted methodologies. Explanations consistent with evaluation of results from the studies and reports were developed by synthesis of the findings. Children from underserved, ethnically diverse population groups were at increased risk for obesity, increased serum lipid levels, and dietary consumption patterns that do not meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. More than 80% of all US children consume more than the recommended amount of total fat and saturated fat. These factors, which were noted during childhood, may track into adolescence, placing these children at increased risk for the early onset of chronic diseases such as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and some forms of cancer. Although federally funded food assistance programs are changing rapidly, currently they provide foods that, when eaten as recommended, exceed the Dietary Guidelines for these children. Future interventions to improve the health and nutritional status of our nation's children, especially those from underserved, ethnically diverse groups, should be culturally appropriate and implemented at the levels of individuals, families, and communities. J Am Diet Assoc. 1996; 96:891-900,903.     

Telephone vs Face-to-Face Interviews for Quantitative Food Frequency Assessment

Objective To develop and test a quantitative food frequency method for administration by telephone.Design A comparison study of telephone and face-to-face interviews was conducted among a representative sample of the five major ethnic groups in Oahu, Hawaii. Two interviews were administered 4 to 6 months apart by trained interviewers using identical questionnaires and color photographs of food items showing three different portion sizes. The order of the interviewing methods was randomly assigned. The questionnaire included 115 food items selected to estimate 80% or more of usual dietary intakes. Frequencies and quantities of each item consumed during the past year were obtained.Subjects/setting Subjects were recruited from the Health Surveillance Program of the Hawaii State Department of Health and consisted of 167 men and 158 women, aged 45 to 74 years, who provided a telephone number. Eighty percent of the face-to-face interviews were conducted in the subjects’ homes and 20% were conducted at the workplace or the University of Hawaii Cancer Research Center, if requested.Statistical analyses The paired t test was used to compare the mean daily intakes obtained by the telephone and face-to-face methods. Agreement was measured by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Pearson correlation coefficient, and weighted κ statistic.Results The means of energy and each nutrient were slightly higher in the first interview than the second, regardless of the interviewing method. Because of close correspondence among all 3 statistical measures of agreement, only the ICCs are reported. The ICCs ranged from .61 for protein and vitamin A to .69 for dietary cholesterol among men, and from .61 for vitamin C to .74 for saturated fat among women. Agreement was not significantly affected by age, gender, ethnicity, order of interview, or educational level.Applications Telephone interviews to obtain quantitative food frequencies are cost-efficient methods for estimating usual dietary intakes among persons in widely scattered geographic areas. Photographs of the foods in 3 portion sizes mailed in advance help the respondents estimate amounts eaten. J Am Diet Assoc. 1998;98:44-48.     

Essential Nature of Choline with Implications for Total Parenteral Nutrition

Choline is known to be important in many metabolic pathways; at this time, however, it is not considered an essential nutrient for human beings. Current evidence strongly suggests that choline is “conditionally essential,” particularly for patients receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Studies in patients receiving long-term TPN have shown that low levels of plasma choline are common and can be associated with hepatic steatosis. Treatment of these patients with oral administration of choline improved plasma levels and decreased hepatic fat content; however, oral choline supplements are associated with poor compliance. More recently, investigators have evaluated intravenous administration of choline as a treatment for TPN-associated hepatic steatosis in patients with documented subnormal plasma free-choline levels. Initial results indicate that intravenous administration of choline may be an effective treatment for TPN-associated hepatic dysfunction.     

Abrogation of IL-3 Requirements and Stimulation of Hematopoietic Cell Proliferationin Vitroandin Vivoby Carboxylic Acids

ABSTRACT: Short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate and propionate, induce fetal globin gene expression and are under clinical investigation in the β-hemoglobinopathies. Limitations of the short-chain fatty acids as therapeutics include their rapid metabolism and a tendency to induce cell growth arrest if administered for prolonged periods. In studies described here, the cellular effects of other inducers of fetal globin, phenoxyacetic acid and derivatives of short-chain fatty acids and cinnamic acids, were investigated in the human erythroid cell line K562, the IL-3 dependent multi-lineage cell line (32D), and in mice and primates. Several test compounds supported 32D cell proliferation despite a 50-fold depletion of IL-3, which resulted in growth arrest and apoptotic death in control cells. The degree of proliferation induced by certain test compounds was similar to the degree of proliferation induced by Erythropoietin and G-CSF in the cells. Eight of ten compounds induced γ globin mRNA in K562 cells. A 2.5 to 6-fold increase in reticulocytosis was observedin vivoin mice treated with two prototype compounds. Pharmacokinetic studies of three prototype compounds demonstrated millimolar plasma concentrations after single oral doses for many hours in primates. These findings identify orally bioavailable compounds which induce γ globin gene expression and hematopoietic cell proliferation through an activity which partially abrogates requirements for IL-3. Such compounds provide potential for oral therapeutics which stimulate proliferation of hematopoietic cells of multiple lineages, as well as inducing fetal globin.     

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a progressive disease

It is controversial whether gastrooesophageal reflux disease represents a spectrum disease from a nonerosive to a complicated one, or whether it is a categorial disease, i.e. it can be divided into three categories, such as nonerosive gastrooesophageal reflux disease, erosive gastrooesophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus (BE) with little or no transition from one category to the other. This controversy might be of general interest, because it has some implications in the management of the patient. However, literature data concerning the natural history of gastrooesophageal reflux disease are very limited, and in particular very few papers have dealt with the issue of describing the natural history of patients with nonerosive gastrooesophageal reflux disease. Aim of the present review is to reassess these scanty data, and to try to demonstrate that progression from milder to more severe forms of gastrooesophageal reflux disease is possible and documented.     

Surface treatment of indirect resin composite surfaces before cementation

Statement of problem. Controversy surrounds the use of hydrofluoric acid to prepare precementation surfaces of indirect composites.Purpose. This study was conducted to compare effects of combining hydrofluoric or orthophosphoric acid with microetching as precementation treatments.Material and methods. Nine specimens of three composite materials were prepared to simulate heat-cured indirect restorations. The specimen surfaces were prepared with one of three treatments. Adhesive Bond II and Twinlook cements were used to bond a phosphoric acid-etched disk of P50 to the treated surface. Analysis of variance and Scheffé tests were used to assess the bond strength data. Scanning electron microscopy and microscopic analysis of the fractured and treated surfaces were also performed.Results. Bond strengths for all surface treatments did not significantly differ. Hybrids had a higher bond strength with etching than microfills, and mechanical roughening produced the greatest bond strengths with microfills. Microetching with orthophosphoric acid produced higher bond strengths than microetching with hydrofluoric acid on hybrids.Conclusions. Acid etching alone is not sufficient to produce effective bond strengths, and hydrofluoric acid treatments are detrimental to the resin composite. (J Prosthet Dent 1997;77:568-72.)