Sociodemographic Factors Associated With Healthy Eating and Food Security in Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups in the UK and Victoria, Australia.

Sociodemographic factors associated with healthy eating and food security in socio-economically disadvantaged groups in the UK and Victoria, Australia.

Public Health Nutr. 2013 Feb 28; 1-11
Thornton LE, Pearce JR, Ball K

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the associations between sociodemographic factors and both diet indicators and food security among socio-economically disadvantaged populations in two different (national) contextual settings. DESIGN: Logistic regression was used to determine cross-sectional associations between nationality, marital status, presence of children in the household, education, employment status and household income (four low income categories) with daily fruit and vegetable consumption, low-fat milk consumption and food security. SETTING: Socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the UK and Australia. SUBJECTS: Two samples of low-income women from disadvantaged neighbourhoods: (i) in the UK, the 2003-05 Low Income Diet and Nutrition Survey (LIDNS; n 643); and (ii) in Australia, the 2007-08 Resilience for Eating and Activity Despite Inequality (READI; n 1340). RESULTS: The influence of nationality, marital status and children in the household on the dietary outcomes varied between the two nations. Obtaining greater education qualifications was the most telling factor associated with healthier dietary behaviours. Being employed was positively associated with low-fat milk consumption in both nations and with fruit consumption in the UK, while income was not associated with dietary behaviours in either nation. In Australia, the likelihood of being food secure was higher among those who were born outside Australia, married, employed or had a greater income, while higher income was the only significant factor in the UK. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of factors that differently influence dietary behaviours and food security in socio-economically disadvantaged populations in the UK and Australia suggests continued efforts need to be made to ensure that interventions and policy responses are informed by the best available local evidence. HubMed – eating

Bioactive polyphenols from grapes and wine emphasized with resveratrol.

Curr Pharm Des. 2013 Feb 19;
Latruffe N, Rifler JP

Grape polyphenols are abundant. They play essential roles in the plant’s life, particularly in defence mechanisms. Moreover, the grape, fresh or dried, is a widely consumed fruit by humans, as are its by-products, grape juice and wine. They also contain vast and highly varied quantities of polyphenols. Like other phytophenols, grape and wine resveratrol is considered a protective micronutrient. Resveratrol is a well known antioxidant, for example, a protector of low-density lipoproteins against oxidation. Its applications are therefore highly varied. Research supports the idea that wine consumed regularly, without excess, is a natural biological product possesses preventive properties, and not only well-known properties against vascular diseases (illustrated by the so-called French paradox). At least in experimental models so far, resveratrol prevents infections, inflammation, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. This review addresses whether the pro-longevity properties of resveratrol are preserved in the human species. If such is the case, it will be possible to imagine new ways of eating based on natural foods, with or without supplements, based on resveratrol. On the other hand, studies such as ours are investigating the synergies between resveratrol and some of the many polyphenols found in wine. These studies should fill in the gaps between the study of a molecule tested in isolation or in a binary system (e.g., with alcohol) and this same molecule in its biological context. HubMed – eating

Do the digestive tract symptoms in eating disorder patients represent functional gastrointestinal disorders?

BMC Gastroenterol. 2013 Feb 28; 13(1): 38
Abraham S, Kellow JE

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common in patients with eating disorders. The aim of this study was to determine, using factor analysis, whether these GI symptom factors (clusters) in eating disorder patients hold true to the Rome II classification of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). METHODS: Inpatients in a specialised eating disorder unit completed the Rome II questionnaire. Data from 185 patients were analysed using factor analysis of 17 questions cited as present in 30% to 70% of the patients. RESULTS: Five factors emerged accounting for 68% of the variance and these were termed: ‘oesophageal discomfort’, ‘bowel dysfunction’, ‘abdominal discomfort’, ‘pelvic floor dysfunction’, and ‘self-induced vomiting’. These factors are significantly related to the Rome II FGID categories of functional oesophageal, bowel and anorectal disorders, and to the specific FGIDs of IBS, functional abdominal bloating, functional constipation and pelvic floor dyssynergia. Both heartburn and chest pain were included in the oesophageal discomfort factor. The ‘pelvic floor dysfunction’ factor was distinct from functional constipation. CONCLUSIONS: The GI symptoms common in eating disorder patients very likely represent the same FGIDs that occur in non-ED patients. Symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction in the absence of functional constipation, however, are prominent in eating disorder patients. Further investigation of the items comprising the ‘pelvic floor dysfunction’ factor in other patient populations may yield useful results. HubMed – eating

A culturally targeted self-management program for African Americans with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Can J Nurs Res. 2012 Dec; 44(4): 126-41
Collins-McNeil J, Edwards CL, Batch BC, Benbow D, McDougald CS, Sharpe D

Inadequate knowledge of the influence of lifestyle on clinical outcomes contributes to the difficulties many African Americans experience with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This pilot study examined a 12-week church-based culturally targeted diabetes self-management education (DSME) intervention for middle-aged and older African Americans with T2DM. Quantitative data were collected at baseline and at 12 weeks and included questionnaires and anthropometric measures. There were significant increases in medication adherence (p = .006), healthy eating (p = .009), and foot care adherence (p = .003). The intervention had a clinically significant effect on systolic blood pressure, blood lipids, physical activity, and waist circumference. Church-based culturally targeted DSME interventions may result in improved outcomes for African-American adults with T2DM. The authors discuss the value of community-based interventions that target behavioural changes in populations of chronically ill patients, particularly those who historically have been disenfranchised and/or underserved. HubMed – eating

Brian McKay, DDS on Bulimia and Teeth – Aimee shares her story of bulimia and fears of dental damage. www.acld.com