BMC Nutrition最新文献

Background: Recent studies have focused on the connection between nutrition, inflammation, and infectious diseases. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between the Mediterranean diet adherence score (MDS) and the healthy eating index (HEI) with some clinical findings of patients with COVID-19.

Methods: This case-control study was conducted in 29 Bahman hospital of Tabriz, Iran, from June to December 2022. Totally, 300 individuals (150 patients with COVID-19 as cases and 150 subjects who had not affected by COVID-19 as controls) was selected using convenience random sampling method to participate in the study. The 138-items food frequency questionnaire-derived dietary data were applied to compute HEI and MDS. Serum levels of BUN, creatinine and inflammatory markers including the Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured.

Results: Both the HEI and MDS of case group was significantly lower than control group (p < 0.001). The MDS was negatively associated with hospitalization duration (R=-0.209, P < 0.001) and serum ESR level (R=-0.420, P < 0.001). A negative relationship was also seen between ESR level and HEI (R=-0.13, P = 0.017).

Conclusion: It is concluded that higher MDS and HEI contribute to lower inflammatory markers and then diminished risk of covid-19 infection.

Background and objectives: Associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and mental health have been observed, but studies comparing different types of plant foods are sparse. This study among Finnish municipal employees examined associations of the consumption of a range of different plant foods with emotional well-being (EWB).

Data and methods: We used survey data from the Helsinki Health Study conducted in 2017 among 19-39-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland (N = 5898, response rate 51.5%, 80% women). Consumption of plant foods, including fruit, berries, fresh and cooked vegetables and wholegrain bread, was measured by a food frequency questionnaire and dichotomised into daily/non-daily consumption. The EWB scale of the RAND-36 questionnaire was dichotomised, with the lowest quartile indicating 'poor EWB' and the three higher quartiles indicating 'good EWB'. We used logistic regression for analysing the associations between plant food consumption and EWB. Analyses were sex-stratified and age, socioeconomic circumstances and psychosocial working conditions were adjusted for.

Results: Prevalence of daily consumption of plant foods varied from 25% for berries and cooked vegetables to 70% for fresh vegetables. Daily consumption was associated with good EWB among both women and men. The strongest age-adjusted association was found for fresh vegetables, with women (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.27-1.74) and men (OR 1.86, CI 1.37-2.52) with daily consumption having clearly higher odds of good EWB compared to non-daily consumers. Associations slightly attenuated but mostly remained after adjusting for socioeconomic circumstances and working conditions.

Conclusions: More frequent plant food consumption was associated with good EWB. Thus, the results support the need for interventions that investigate whether the promotion of plant food consumption could show potential mental health benefits among employees.

Background: Experimental and clinical studies have suggested that symbiotics might effectively manage type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by modulating the intestinal microbiota. However, these studies' limited sources, small sample sizes, and varied study designs have led to inconsistent outcomes regarding glycaemic control. This study aimed to investigate the effects of symbiotics on the anthropometric measures, glycaemic control, and lipid profiles of patients with T2DM.

Methods: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel clinical trial was conducted at two diabetes outpatient clinics. The main researcher and participants were blinded to the capsule content throughout the study. Sixty-six patients with T2DM aged 30-75 years were randomly allocated, using even and odd numbers, into two equal groups. These groups received either symbiotic capsules containing 200 million colony-forming units plus fructo-oligosaccharide or a placebo for 12 weeks. The primary objective was a decrement in glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c]. The patients' anthropometric measures, fasting blood sugar, high-density lipoprotein [HDL], low-density lipoprotein [LDL], total serum cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels were also assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention. Non-parametric tests were used for statistical analyses.

Results: Within-group analysis revealed significant decreases in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (P = 0.005 and 0.023, respectively) and a significant increase in HDL levels in the symbiotic group (P = 0.04). HbA1c levels significantly increased in the placebo group (P = 0.016) but were not significantly reduced in the symbiotic group. The between-group analysis revealed significantly lower fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels in the symbiotic group, and higher in the placebo group (P = 0.02). No significant changes existed in total serum cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride levels in either the symbiotic or placebo group.

Conclusions: Symbiotics improve BMI, waist circumference, HDL, and FBS levels and prevent the worsening of HbA1c levels in patients with T2DM. Our preliminary results indicate the potential benefits of symbiotics in patients with T2DM, which may lead to better diabetes control. However, this evidence requires further assessment in larger trials.

Trial registration: The trial was registered retrospectively at the International Standard Registered Clinical/Social Study Number Registry (ISRCTN34652973) on 05/01/2024.

Background: Globally, iron deficiency anaemia is a widespread public health problem affecting vulnerable populations including adolescents. However, over the years, the Uganda Demographic Health Surveys mostly report the status of anaemia for women of reproductive age (15-49 years) and children up to 5 years, leaving out the focus on adolescents. Moreover, high prevalence of anaemia among children below five years could suggest that anaemia still persists at adolescence. Therefore, the study aimed at determining dietary quality, prevalence of anaemia and their associated factors among school-going adolescents.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 341 adolescent boys and girls aged 10-19 years was carried out in two rural schools in Gulu district. Prevalence of anaemia was determined by obtaining blood specimens from a finger prick into a microcuvette and analysed for haemoglobin (Hb) level using Haemoglobin analyser, whereas dietary quality was assessed using the Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS). Socio-economic and demographic data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Results: The overall prevalence of anaemia was 16.0% (Girls:18.1%; Boys:13.0%), while the mean Hb level was 13.2 ± 1.4 g/dl (Girls 13.0 ± 1.3 g/dl; Boys 13.5 ± 1.6 g/dl). The mean number of food groups consumed among the adolescents was 3.5 ± 2.1 for girls and 3.0 ± 1.8 for boys (p˃0.05). Animal source foods, fruits and vitamin A-rich vegetables, other fruits and vegetables were consumed by adolescent girls more than the boys. Similarly, a higher proportion of adolescent girls than boys consumed iron-rich foods: fish and meat, organ meat and dark green leafy vegetables. Further, all the socio-demographic factors in the study did not predict dietary diversity (p ˃ 0.05). On the other hand, education attainment by parent/guardian and nature of menstruation predicted the prevalence of anaemia amongst adolescents (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The prevalence of anaemia was high among adolescents. Coupled with this, there, was low dietary diversity among the adolescents. The level of education of the parent/guardian and nature of the menstrual discharge were significant predictors of anaemia amongst girls. From this study, we recommend interventions by both health and agricultural-related practitioners to strengthen activities in rural schools such as health and nutrition education to create awareness about dietary diversity and promotion of agricultural practices such as school vegetable gardens, orchards poultry production and rearing of small ruminants to support consumption of diverse foods in schools with the view of reducing the burden from iron deficiency anaemia.

Introduction: Promotion of child health during the first thousand days from conception to the child's second birthday is vital for survival, growth and development. Growth monitoring and promotion services are key to the early detection of growth faltering and preventing malnutrition and promoting child health. This study aimed to assess the utilization of Growth Monitoring and Promotion (GMP) services and its associated factors among young children in Gorkha district of Nepal.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Gorkha district, involving 290 mother-child pairs, from April 2024 to June 2024. Multistage random sampling was used to select mothers. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics involving multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with GMP service utilization.

Results: Only 5.5% of children had completed the recommended 24 GMP visits according to protocol, while 23.8% utilized GMP services more than 15 times, which represents the 75th percentile of service utilization. Mothers who had good knowledge had significantly higher (adjusted OR = 4.23, 95% CI: 2.070-8.650, p < 0.001) GMP service utilization among their children than those counterpart mothers with poor knowledge about the GMP services. The main reasons for not regular utilizing GMP services included the time constraints and their household responsibilities (85%).

Conclusion: This study reported the low utilization of GMP services among children in Gorkha district. Maternal knowledge on GMP service emerged as the primary predictor of GMP service utilization and maternal engagement in the household activities explores as a leading barrier to GMP service utilization. Enhancing maternal knowledge through community engagement strategies and improving the monitoring mechanism within the health systems could increase GMP utilization.

Background: The composition of maternal gut phylum in each trimester of pregnancy has been associated with fetal development, separately. Diet is a main effective factor on the gut composition of phylum. However, associations between dietary glycemic index (GI), load (GL) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) not studied with the gut population of phylum in mothers at the first trimester of pregnancy.

Materials and methods: Ninety healthy pregnant women aged 18-40 yrs, in the first trimester, were participated. Stool samples were gathered in a fasting state. Population of dominant phylum was determined after DNA extraction based on the 16SrRNA expression, as a housekeeping gene. Dietary intake was collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire and dietary indices were computed.

Results: The Proteobacteria population was significantly higher in the gut of pregnant mothers than the other phylum (p < 0.001). Participants in the highest level of dietary GI had lower Bacteroidetes (p < 0.001) and Actinobacteria (p = 0.04) in their gut compared to the lowest level. Participants in the lowest level of dietary GL had higher Bacteroidetes (p < 0.001) and lower proteobacteria (p = 0.04) in their gut than the highest level. Dietary selenium showed a significant negative effect on the Firmicutes (p = 0.04) and Proteobacteria (p = 0.04), however positively affected the Actinobacteria (p = 0.01) population. Dietary zinc and manganese showed a negative effect on the Firmicutes population (p = 0.01 and p = 0.003). Zinc and vitamin E showed a negative effect on the Proteobacteria population (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03).

Conclusions: A maternal diet with high GI and GL have been associated with the gut dysbiosis, however dietary intake of selenium, zinc, manganese and vitamin E act in favor of the intestinal eubiosis in the first trimester of pregnancy.

Introduction: Exclusive breastfeeding is widely recognized as the optimal way to feed infants due to its numerous health benefits for both the child and the mother. Despite its advantages, Ghana is still far from attaining World Health Organization (WHO) recommended rates. This study is aimed at exploring the knowledge attitude and practices, where the practices hinged on facilitators, barriers, and sociocultural perspectives of breastfeeding mothers and significant others on exclusive breastfeeding.

Methods: This study employed an ethnographic thematic analysis framed by the socioecological model (SEM). Thematic analysis was paired with focus group discussions (FGDs). The study participants were recruited purposively by employing a snowball sampling technique with the assistance of community health volunteers. Three (3) FGDs were formed, with 10 participants in each group, to gather perspectives from breastfeeding mothers and significant others (partners and grandmothers) in three communities with Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds within the Tamale metropolis. With an interview guide, all FGDs were audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, and translated from local dialects to English. The emerging themes were used in writing a narrative account, guided by the principles of thematic analysis.

Results: This study identified three thematic areas: knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF); attitudes toward EBF and practices of EBF (facilitators, barriers, and sociocultural practices). There was some knowledge disparity among lactating mothers despite the overall high knowledge and subpar attitudes of some mothers. The practice of exclusive breastfeeding was substandard. The major hindrances identified were cultural barriers propagated by partners/husbands and grandmothers; the belief that the weather here does not support EBF; and the need for spiritual herbs in infancy. Supportive healthcare providers helped increase the practice of exclusive breastfeeding. Some support also came from partners and husbands, and some mothers showed unique positive behaviors by exclusively breastfeeding.

Conclusion: This study revealed that while exclusive breastfeeding education has been ongoing for decades, sociocultural norms still influence mothers to deviate from WHO recommendations. Public education is recommended to dispel misconceptions surrounding exclusive breastfeeding, develop a food galactagogue to help with breastmilk volumes and create a supportive environment that empowers mothers and families to make informed choices that optimize the health and well-being of both infants and mothers.

Background: The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been considered one of the healthiest dietary patterns, and an excellent model of sustainability. Higher Education food services present an excellent scenario to encourage students healthy eating habits and modulate food choices. The purpose of this work was to develop an index to evaluate MD compliance with cafeteria menus.

Methods: Three major axes were considered: MD key points, existing indexes on individual adherence to the MD and, existing indexes on menu assessment. The index includes four levels: (I) assesses the availability (IA), variety and frequency (IB) of food; (II) evaluates menu's nutritional quality; (III) assesses the menu's quality through information provided in the dishes' technical specifications and (IV) allows a more detailed evaluation through on-site visits and documentation consultation. The components receive a score between - 2 and 3, according to the given answers. The final score may vary between - 33.5 and 41.5 points depending on the degree of compliance with the MD key points. The index was applied to 60 menus from different contexts using complete assessments of each menu, performed independently by 3 researchers, using the same pre-prepared Microsoft Excel^® spreadsheet. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using Cohen's Kappa and internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha.

Results: Assessment for level I) returned a Cohen's Kappa coefficient of 0.92 (p < 0.05) and a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.88. Dimension I is mostly influenced by subdimension IB (r = 0,97). The availability of non-starchy vegetables and fresh fruits has a stronger correlation with IA (availability of foods), and higher availability of fish, pulses and fruit has a strong positive correlation with IB (variety and frequency of foods).

Conclusion: Researchers believe that the index is a useful tool to assess compliance of menus to the MD and help identify the key points that need to be addressed and improved in cafeterias.

Background: Feeding practices during infancy have a significant impact on a child's cognitive development and long-term health outcomes. Dietary diversity guidelines from the WHO and UNICEF recommend a diverse range of foods for children aged below 24 months for their optimal growth and development. However, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), little is known about the extent to which dietary diversity behaviour in children aged 6 to 24 months aligns with the recommendations and the factors associated with the differentials in dietary behaviour. This study aimed to fill this gap.

Methods: This study employed an analytical cross-sectional approach, drawing on recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 31 SSA countries. The study included a weighted sample of 44,071 children aged between 6 and 24 months, and their respective mothers aged 15-49 years. The primary outcome was Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) categorised per WHO recommendation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the association of MDD with demographic and socio-economic characteristics.

Results: The pooled MDD intake among children aged 6-24 months in SSA was 11% ranging from as low as 1.3% in Burkina Faso to 32.9% in South Africa. Children of mothers aged 45-49 years had 52% significant higher likelihood of MDD compared to those aged 15-19 years (AOR = 1.52, 95% CI:1.03, 2.24). Higher maternal education levels also increased MDD odds in the children: 22% higher for mothers who had attained secondary education (AOR = 1.22, 95% CI:1.07, 1.39), and 36% higher for those with education beyond secondary level (AOR = 1.36, 95% CI:1.09, 1.71) compared to no education. Children of rich mothers had 44% higher odds of MDD than those with poor mothers (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI:1.27, 1.62). Increased antenatal visits, and urban residence also contributed to higher MDD odds.

Conclusion: Based on the current global estimate of approximately 28% MDD rate, the reported 11% MDD intake among children in this study is relatively low. There is a positive association between MDD intake in children and several factors, including maternal education, antenatal visits, wealth index, and residency. These findings highlight the need for policymakers and other stakeholders to give urgent attention to empowering parents to ensure adequate nutrient intake among children for better child growth and development.

Background: The Global Diet Quality Score (GDQS) application is an electronic data collection tool developed to provide a standard, easy-to-use method for collecting low-cost, time-relevant data on diet quality.

Objective: To assess the feasibility and ease-of-use of the GDQS application and associated set of 3D cubes used as visual aids to assist the respondent with estimating amounts consumed at the food group level.

Methods: The study was conducted in August 2021 in two regions of Ethiopia with varied dietary practices. Face-to-face interviews were conducted in Amharic and Somali by 10 enumerators among 120 women to collect dietary data using the GDQS application. Feedback on each completed interview was collected from both the respondent and enumerator. Enumerators also participated in focus group discussions.

Results: Enumerators rated the GDQS application as easy to use after 85.8% of the interviews completed. They identified the automatic provision of food-specific probes to guide the interview, the automatic classification of reported foods, beverages, and ingredients into the corresponding GDQS food groups, and the ability to work offline as the main advantages of the application. Most respondents (78.3%) did not find it difficult to choose the cube that corresponded to the amount of each food group they reported consuming. Respondents' feedback on the open recall of all foods, beverages and mixed dishes consumed the previous day and the use of 3D cubes was mostly positive.

Conclusion: The results suggest that the GDQS application and cubes were easy to use and feasible for collecting data on diet quality in a low-income country setting.