Journal of Nutritional Science最新文献

This study investigates the associations between social determinants of health (SDOH) and hypertension prevalence across Wisconsin communities, with particular attention to food environments, economic factors, and transportation patterns. Using data from the 2019-2020 Wisconsin State Inpatient Database (387,047 patients) and the 2020 AHRQ SDOH database, we employed spatial analysis and logistic regression models to examine relationships between hypertension prevalence and neighbourhood characteristics across 597 ZIP codes. Lower-income areas exhibited significantly higher hypertension prevalence (EE = 1.233, 95% CI: 1.128-1.347 for incomes under $14,999), neighbourhoods with greater food resource density showed protective associations (EE = 0.549, 95% CI: 0.474-0.636 for supermarket access). Active transportation patterns were associated with lower hypertension rates (EE = 0.879, 95% CI: 0.829-0.933 for walking). We observed a 'Hispanic paradox' in Milwaukee County, where Hispanic populations demonstrated lower hypertension prevalence despite socioeconomic disadvantages, whereas African American populations with similar disadvantages exhibited higher prevalence. Our proposed 'Food Environment Synergy Model' helps frame these findings by conceptualising food environments through three interacting dimensions: physical access, economic accessibility, and cultural dietary patterns. This integrated approach highlights how these dimensions collectively relate to unique risk and resilience profiles within communities, challenging conventional binary classifications of 'food deserts' versus 'food secure' areas. These findings indicate that addressing food access disparities, promoting walkable neighbourhoods, and preserving beneficial cultural dietary traditions may be related to lower hypertension prevalence and advance health equity in diverse communities. However, the analysis is cross-sectional, causality cannot be inferred; further longitudinal studies are needed to establish causal relationships.

Malnutrition remains a major public health issue in Sub-Saharan Africa, with one-third of all malnourished children residing in the region. In Malawi, 37.1% of children under five are stunted, and 63% are anaemic. Poor diets and poverty contribute significantly. Legumes, being rich in protein, fibre, and micronutrients, offer a sustainable food-based approach to improve child nutrition and support local agriculture. This study aimed at assessing the association between legume consumption and nutritional status in children aged 6-59 months in rural Malawi. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Mzimba, Mchinji, and Mangochi districts, involving 1275 children. Data were collected on dietary intake, socioeconomic status, and anthropometry using semi-structured questionnaires. Nutritional status was determined using WHO Anthro, and associations were analysed using logistic regression in Stata. Prevalence of stunting was 42.8%, underweight 17.4%, and wasting 8.4%. Over half of the children did not consume legumes. Pigeon pea consumption significantly reduced odds of wasting (AOR = 0.14), and common beans were associated with lower odds of both wasting and stunting. Conversely, groundnut consumption was linked to increased underweight (AOR = 1.68). Animal food consumption was associated with lower underweight but higher odds of wasting. Legume consumption showed both protective and adverse associations with child malnutrition. In conclusion, this study has shown that promoting dietary diversity and appropriate legume use could enhance nutrition outcomes. Findings highlight the potential of legumes in addressing undernutrition but also the need for targeted nutrition education and interventions in rural Malawi.

Household food insecurity has previously been associated with psychological distress, and subsequently, poorer diet quality. Further understanding of this relationship is required to improve nutritional outcomes, with food-related concerns suggested as one potential mechanism. Therefore, the current pre-registered (https://osf.io/zd3ak) study conducted cross-sectional secondary analyses of Wave 6 (October 2022-January 2023) of the Food and You 2 survey administered in adults aged 16 years and over across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (N = 2315), to explore the differential prevalence of food-related concerns in people experiencing food insecurity. Exploratory analyses also identified characteristics of food support users (food bank or social supermarket; N = 467) and quantified associations between food support use and the same food-related concerns. People experiencing marginal (OR = 1.43, p = 0.02) and low food security (OR = 1.51, p = 0.02) (relative to high food security) were significantly more concerned about food prices, but this association was not seen in people experiencing very low food security. Both food bank and social supermarket use were predicted by very low food security (food bank OR = 6.05, p < 0.001; social supermarket OR = 2.40, p = 0.02) and having a long-term health condition (food bank OR = 3.91, p = 0.00; social supermarket OR = 3.17, p = 0.00). Food bank users were less concerned about healthy eating (OR = 0.33, p = 0.00) whereas social supermarket users were less concerned about food prices (relative to non-users) (OR = 0.40, p = 0.01). Food-related concerns, particularly regarding food prices, are differentially associated with food security status and food support use. Findings could support specific interventions to promote better diet quality and improve health and wellbeing in populations experiencing food insecurity.

Childhood obesity is an increasing concern in Indonesia, yet little is known about the content and sources of foods offered in Indonesian school food environments. This study aimed to examine the composition and preparation of foods sold in primary school canteens, and to identify potential modifications to address diet-related obesity risk. A cross-sectional survey of canteen vendors (n = 10) and structured observations of prepared foods (n = 112) sold in canteens were conducted across eight private and public primary schools in Central Java, Indonesia. Foods were categorized by food group, preparation method, and meal type, and associations with factors such as cost, location of sale, and the individual responsible for preparation were analysed using chi-square and t-test analyses. Among all prepared foods observed, 73.2% were classified as main meals and 26.8% as desserts, with parents often playing a central role in food preparation. Nearly half (47.3%) of non-beverage items were deep-fried, and the majority of dishes did not align with Indonesian Balanced Nutrition Guidelines. A compositional analysis of each main meal's ingredients revealed that 29.3% lacked protein and 90.2% did not contain vegetables. Foods that were not deep-fried were priced significantly higher than deep-fried foods (x̄ = Rp.1846 ($0.11) vs Rp.1406 ($0.09); p < 0.001). Overall, the majority of prepared foods available to schoolchildren were low in nutritional quality, with limited fruits and vegetables and heavy reliance on frying. These findings highlight the need for strategies that combine parent education on healthy food preparation with economic incentives to increase the accessibility of healthier food options within Indonesian school canteens.

A sponsored symposium was held at the International Congress on Nutrition to discuss the role of the fruit matrix in modulating the impact of 100% fruit juice (FJ) on markers of glycaemic control and vascular health and to present two recent studies. Structural, nutrient, and non-nutrient components of FJ, which comprise the fruit matrix and include polyphenols, pectins, vitamins, and minerals, have been shown in previous studies to influence postprandial metabolic responses. While the free sugar content of FJ and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) can be similar, the fruit matrix distinguishes FJ from SSBs, the latter typically lacking in micronutrients and containing added sugars. Epidemiological studies consistently report that higher polyphenol intakes are associated with a lower risk of CVD, while some randomised controlled trials on citrus juices (rich in the flavanone, hesperidin) find beneficial effects for vascular function and blood pressure. Other randomised controlled trials report that FJ has neutral effects on cardiometabolic markers, which may be due to intra-individual differences in the digestion and absorption of polyphenols. The symposium concluded that the benign influence of the fruit matrix justifies the categorisation of FJ as a type of processed fruit, and not an SSB, for public health and regulatory purposes.

Adequate protein intake is crucial for preventing frailty and sarcopenia in older adults, but conventional dietary assessments are time-consuming. Developing a rapid screening tool for identifying those at risk of low protein intake is essential; however, no such tool exists for Asian populations. This study developed a prediction model to identify older adults in Japan at risk of low protein intake using a simple food intake questionnaire. The model was developed using data from 4,085 older adults aged ≥65 years from the 2013 and 2017 National Health and Nutrition Surveys. Protein intake was assessed using a one-day dietary record with a semi-weighted method. A multivariable logistic regression model was developed to predict low protein intake (<1.0 g/kg adjusted body weight/day), incorporating sex, age, adjusted body weight, and food intake frequency of nine food groups. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and a calibration plot, both adjusted for optimism through bootstrap resampling. Participants had a mean age of 74.1 years (standard deviation = 6.6), and 55.5% of all participants were female. The prevalence of low protein intake was 21.8%. Internal validation showed a bootstrap optimism-corrected ROC area of 0.695 and a calibration slope of 0.921. We developed a 12-item prediction model for identifying older adults at risk of low protein intake. The model provides a practical tool to identify older adults at high risk of low protein intake and is expected to be used in public health settings.

Nutrient gaps are differences between recommended and actual intakes and are often based on the estimated average requirement (EAR), the average daily intake estimated to meet the requirement of 50% of healthy individuals. While nutrient gaps have been established in the general population, their presence in exercising adults has not been extensively investigated. In the present analyses, 681 dietary recalls were obtained from 226 healthy exercising adults (154 F, 72 M) using the Automated Self-Administered 24-h (ASA24®) Dietary Assessment Tool. Intakes of seventeen vitamins and minerals were compared to corresponding EAR values to determine if nutrient gaps were present. Additionally, the potential for sex differences in absolute and relative nutrient intakes was examined. Median intakes of vitamin D fell below the EAR in both female and male adults, with the median intake of vitamin E below the EAR in female adults only (p ≤ 0.003 for each). In female participants, >50% exhibited intakes below the EAR for calcium, folate, magnesium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E. In male participants, >50% exhibited intakes below the EAR for vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E. Sex differences were present for intakes in sixteen of seventeen micronutrients (p < 0.001 for each), with lower intakes observed in female adults. Collectively, the present analyses indicate underconsumption of some micronutrients, particularly in exercising female adults. The potential to improve vitamin and mineral intakes and attendant health and performance outcomes through targeted interventions in exercising adults should be explored in future research.

Patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) often experience hypozincemia. The clinical factors associated with hypozincemia have not been established. We investigated clinical factors that may be useful to predict hypozincemia in patients with CLD. The serum zinc levels CLD patients were measured; Study 1 investigated the predictive factors of hypozincemia, and Study 2 was performed to validate the factors identified in Study 1. Study 1 included 197 participants, of whom 28 and 106 had serum zinc levels <60 µg/dL and <80 µg/dL, respectively. A multivariate analysis revealed that serum zinc levels <60 µg/dL or <80 µg/dL were associated with the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score and serum albumin level. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the ALBI score ≥ -1.83 and the serum albumin level ≤3.3 g/dL were the cut-off values for a serum zinc level <60 µg/dL, whereas the ALBI score ≥ -2.44 and the serum albumin level ≤3.6 g/dL were the cut-off values for a serum zinc level <80 µg/dL. In Study 2 (n = 177), the diagnostic accuracy rates for serum zinc <60 µg/dL were 81.9% for the ALBI score and 75.1% for the serum albumin level, and those for serum zinc <80 µg/dL were 70.1% for both parameters. Together these findings indicate that the ALBI score may serve as a predictive factor of hypozincemia in CLD patients.

Although many online-based dietary surveys have been developed in recent years, systems that easily survey the dietary balance based on the Japanese diet are insufficient. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between dietary balance scores from an online survey system based on the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top, and nutrient/food intake calculated using the weighing method from dietary records (DRs), as well as to assess the system's utility and applicability. An online dietary balance survey and semi-weighted DR assessment with food photographs were conducted in Japanese participants (n = 34). Registered dietitians entered the balance scores into the system based on the participants' food photographs, and the scores were calculated using the system. Significant positive correlations (p < 0.001) were found between the online dietary balance scores and nutrient/food intake from DRs; especially for 'grain dishes' and carbohydrates (r = 0.704); 'vegetable dishes' and the vegetable dish group (sum of potatoes, vegetables, mushrooms, and algae) (r = 0.774); 'main dishes' and protein (r = 0.661); 'milk' and the milk and milk products group (r = 0.744); and 'fruits' and the fruits group (r = 0.748). Bland-Altman analysis showed that the dietary balance scores obtained by this system tended to underestimate the intake compared with the weighing method. Although there are limitations to the accurate estimation of nutrient and food intake, the online dietary balance scores obtained from the online dietary balance survey system were useful for understanding the dietary balance in the Japanese diet.

Groundwater iron varies geographically and iron intake through drinking water can minimise iron deficiency (ID). Rice, a major share of daily meals (∼70% of total energy) in Bangladesh, absorbs a substantial amount of water. This study aimed to estimate the contribution of groundwater iron entrapped in cooked rice and its implications on the recommended iron intake. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 25 households, selected by the iron content of their drinking groundwater source in Sirajganj district, Bangladesh. Each household pre-supplied with 600 g of raw rice (300 g for each cooking), was instructed to cook 'water-draining rice' (WDR) and 'water-sitting rice' (WSR). Using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, iron content in filtered and non-filtered water was measured as 0.4 ± 0.2 mg/L and 6.1 ± 2.0 mg/L, respectively. After adjusting for water filtration, the weighted mean of total iron content in WDR and WSR was 6.18 mg and 5.70 mg, respectively. Assuming the average rice intake, iron content in WDR and WSR fulfilled approximately 98.15% and 90.62% of the average requirement for non-pregnant and non-lactating women (NPNL). The water-entrapped iron in cooked WDR and WSR fulfilled about 23.77% and 20.4% of Recommended Dietary Allowances, and 52.83% and 45.30% of Estimated Average Requirements, respectively in NPNL women, suggesting that groundwater entrapped in cooked rice is an influential dietary iron source. The substantial amount of iron from cooked rice can make an additional layer to the environmental contribution of iron in this setting with the potential to contribute ID prevention.