scholarly journals Health Behaviors in Times of COVID: Different Sources of Support for Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 740-741
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Zambrano Garza ◽  
Christiane Hoppmann ◽  
Denis Gerstorf ◽  
Theresa Pauly ◽  
Rachel Murphy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Support Providers ◽  
Eating Fruit ◽  
Sources Of Support ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Fresh Foods

Abstract Eating a nutritious diet reduces vulnerability to common chronic diseases. Yet, older adults struggle to meet nutritional guidelines; many have found it particularly challenging to access fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables during the pandemic. Thus, it is vital to better understand how older adults may recruit the help of close others to support healthy dietary intake. This COVID-19 study examines the role of support for promoting fruit and vegetable consumption in daily life. Ninety-seven older adults participated with a close other of their choice (62 % spouse; 38% non-spouse Mage partner1 = 72, SD = 5.26, Mage partner2 = 62, SD = 16.38). Both partners completed two daily questionnaires for 10 days. In the morning they reported their intentions for eating fruit and vegetables. In the evening, they noted their consumed fruit and vegetable servings, the extent to which this matched their intentions, and their partners support in doing so. Consistent with previous research, the older participants were, the more they consumed fruits and vegetables. On days when participants received more support from their partner, they were more successful at reaching their dietary goals. Interestingly, initial findings suggest that associations were stronger when support was provided from a non-spouse than if the support came from spouse. Follow-up analyses, with a larger sample, will further examine some of the underlying mechanisms so as to better understand the role of different kinds of support providers during the pandemic and shed light on who may be best suited to provide support.

scholarly journals Parental Education and the Association between Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Asthma in Adolescents: The Greek Global Asthma Network (GAN) Study

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 304
Author(s):  
George Antonogeorgos ◽  
Kostas N. Priftis ◽  
Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos ◽  
Philippa Ellwood ◽  
Luis García-Marcos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parental Education ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Asthma Prevalence ◽  
Inverse Association ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable

Background: Evidence suggests that nutritional factors, such as consumption of fruits and vegetables, along with socioeconomic factors such as parental education level, are associated with asthma prevalence. Our study examined the role of parental education in the association between fruit and vegetable consumption and adolescent asthma. Methods: 1934 adolescents (mean age: 12.7 years, standard deviation: 0.6 years, boys: 47.5%) and their parents were voluntarily enrolled and completed a validated questionnaire assessing current asthma status, fruit and vegetable consumption and parental educational level. Participants were categorized as high or low intake for five food groups: fruits, cooked vegetables, raw vegetables, all vegetables (cooked and raw), and all three food groups together (fruits and all vegetables). Results: Adolescents who were high consumers of all three food groups (fruits, cooked and raw vegetables) were less likely to have asthma, adjusted for several confounders (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.53, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25–0.97). Moreover, in adolescents who had parents with tertiary education and were in the high consumption of all three food groups, the inverse association was almost twofold higher than the one for adolescents with parents of primary/secondary education (aOR: 0.35, 95% CI: (0.21–0.89) and aOR: 0.61, 95% CI: (0.47–0.93) respectively). Conclusions: Our findings highlight the importance of the adoption of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables for all asthmatic adolescents and emphasize the important role of parental influences in this association.

scholarly journals Preliminary Examination of the Impact of a Gardening Program on Confidence, Physical Activity, Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, and Quality of Life

HortScience ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 783A-783
Author(s):  
Mu-Chuan Lin ◽  
Candice Shoemaker* ◽  
Nancy Gyurcsik
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Home Garden ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
The Impact

Older adults are not sufficiently physically active and do not consume sufficient fruits and vegetables to achieve health benefits, such as an improved health-related quality of life (HRQL). As a result, an innovative gardening intervention, comprised of stretching exercises, the teaching of home garden knowledge and skills, and the preparation and taste testing of fruits and vegetables, was developed to target increased: (a) confidence to garden and to consume fruits and vegetables, (b) physical activity, (c) fruit and vegetable consumption, and (d) HRQL. Seven older adults, aged 60 years or older, participated in the gardening intervention and 10 older adults participated in the control group during the fall. Measures of confidence, physical activity (i.e., gardening), fruit and vegetable consumption, and HRQL were obtained at baseline and at the end of the 10-week program. Findings revealed that, at baseline, intervention participants had significantly higher confidence to garden compared to control participants but at end-program intervention and control participants did not significantly differ in any of the outcome variables. Bivariate findings also revealed that intervention participants who had higher confidence to garden or to consume fruits and vegetables at baseline also gardened more at end-program. Thus, interventions targeting confidence to garden and to consume fruits and vegetables may be effective in improving gardening (i.e., physical activity) behavior. Findings also suggest that seasonal change may be one influential moderator of the gardening program on confidence and gardening and fruit and vegetable consumption behavior change. Future research should examine the impact of the program in different seasons to clarify the effects.

Psychographic Profiling of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: The Role of Health Orientation

2005 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohan J. Dutta-Bergman
Keyword(s):  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Health Behavior Change ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Underlying Variable

Based on the empirical evidence that documents the link between fruit and vegetable consumption and a plethora of health outcomes, multiple campaign initiatives have been launched in the past decade seeking to drive the consumption of fruits and vegetables in the U.S. population. A review of the existing literature suggests that most campaign initiatives have taken an episodic approach to the task of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. This article offers an alternative framework by highlighting the importance of a psychographic approach that emphasizes the treatment of the whole individual. In this case, health orientation is defined and located as the underlying variable that drives a multitude of health-related behaviors including fruit and vegetable consumption. The study results support the notion that an underlying sense of health orientation drives health behaviors such as fruit and vegetable consumption. Specific recommendations are made for campaign initiatives that take a comprehensive and long-term approach to health behavior change.

scholarly journals Socio-economic differences in adolescents’ breakfast eating, fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity in Ghana

2011 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 864-872 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Doku ◽  
Leena Koivusilta ◽  
Susanna Raisamo ◽  
Arja Rimpelä
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
School Performance ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit Intake ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Eating Fruit ◽  
Breakfast Eating

AbstractObjectiveFew studies have investigated the association between adolescents’ socio-economic status (SES) and health behaviours in developing countries. Socio-economic differences in breakfast eating, fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity were investigated among Ghanaian adolescents.DesignA school-based survey of 12–18-year-olds (n 1195, response rate 89·7 %) was conducted in 2008. Logistic regression analyses were applied to study the associations between breakfast eating, fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity, and SES.SettingSouthern Ghana, West Africa.SubjectsSchool pupils aged 12–18 years.ResultsOf all adolescents, 31 % took breakfast less than 4 d/week, over half (56 %) and 48 %, respectively, rarely ate fruits and vegetables. Younger adolescents (12–15-year-olds) consumed fruits and vegetables frequently compared with older ones (16–18-year-olds). Boys were more likely to participate in physical activity than girls. The probability of frequent breakfast eating was higher in adolescents from more affluent backgrounds than in those from less affluent ones. Compared with those whose mothers were illiterate, both tertiary and primary maternal educational attainment increased the probability of frequent fruit intake. Similarly, tertiary educational attainment increased the likelihood of frequent vegetable intake. Compared with those with unemployed mothers, mothers’ low employment grade was related to higher probability of frequent fruit intake. High school performance was associated with frequent fruit intake, whereas high or medium school performance increased the likelihood of vegetable intake compared with low school performance.ConclusionsInterventions are needed to improve breakfast intake, fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity in order to prevent degenerative diseases among Ghanaian adolescents.

Perceived environmental supports for fruit and vegetable consumption among older adults in the US

2021 ◽  
pp. 026010602199374
Author(s):  
Qianzhi Jiang ◽  
Sarah L. Francis ◽  
Karen M. Chapman-Novakofski ◽  
McKenzie Wilt ◽  
Elena T. Carbone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Additional Support

Background: The physical and social environments surrounding food, whether perceived or observed, can influence consumers’ food choices by changing food access, and affordability, or by changing settings where food-related behaviors occur. Aim: To describe older adults’ perceived food environment, identify the most important sites and factors that enable healthy eating, and explore older adults’ recommendations for communities to facilitate fruit and vegetable consumption. Methods: Participants aged 60 and older from metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, Iowa, and Illinois completed a researcher-administered survey to rate the perceived environment including accessibility, availability, and affordability of fruits and vegetables, and perceived importance of factors and establishments related to fruit and vegetable consumption. Participants also suggested changes for establishments to facilitate fruit and vegetable consumption. Results: The majority of the 142 participants perceived their food environment for fruits and vegetables as not difficult to access (85.2%) with good or excellent availability (90.1%). Education, marital status, and race were associated with some aspects of the perceived food environment. Perceived accessibility and supermarkets were rated as the most important factor and establishment, respectively, to facilitate fruit and vegetable consumption across all study sites. Participants proposed recommendations to address the availability, quality, accessibility and affordability of fruits and vegetables. Conclusion: Interventions promoting accessible, affordable, quality fruits and vegetables may improve older adult consumers’ perceptions of their food environment. Communities may also use undervalued resources such as mobile markets more strategically to provide additional support for healthy eating in older adults.

scholarly journals 306 - Loneliness and mortality in older adults and the role of depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (S1) ◽  
pp. 64-64
Author(s):  
T.J. Holwerda ◽  
D. Rhebergen ◽  
H.C. Comijs ◽  
J.J.M. Dekker ◽  
M.L. Stek
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Mortality Risk ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Clinical Perspective ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Dexamethasone Suppression

Background:The prevalence of loneliness increases with age. The presence of loneliness in older adults has been found to be associated with health problems such as depression, decreased cognitive functioning, increases in systolic blood pressure and increased mortality. The underlying mechanisms of the higher mortality risk are largely unknown.Methods:Meta-analysis to investigate the present evidence for the associations between loneliness and mortality. Cross-sectional studies investigating the associations between loneliness and cardiovascular disease and between loneliness and cortisol in 378 depressed and 132 non-depressed older adults.Results:Loneliness appears to be associated with increased mortality, although when only studies are included that consider depression as a covariate, the association is not significant. Therefore it seems likely that depression plays a mediating role in the higher mortality risk.We did not find a significant association between loneliness and cardiovascular disease. In contrast, loneliness was significantly associated with lower cortisol output and decreased dexamethasone suppression.Discussion:The results and their implications for prevention and treatment will be discussed from a clinical perspective as well as a general health perspective. Is loneliness as potentially dangerous as depression?

scholarly journals Healthy eating: a matter of prioritisation by households or policymakers?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Joreintje Dingena Mackenbach
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Food System ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Abstract I reflect upon the potential reasons why American low-income households do not spend an optimal proportion of their food budgets on fruits and vegetables, even though this would allow them to meet the recommended levels of fruit and vegetable consumption. Other priorities than health, automatic decision-making processes and access to healthy foods play a role, but solutions for the persistent socio-economic inequalities in diet should be sought in the wider food system which promotes cheap, mass-produced foods. I argue that, ultimately, healthy eating is not a matter of prioritisation by individual households but by policymakers.

scholarly journals Perbedaan konsumsi buah dan sayur pada anak sekolah dasar yang obes dan tidak obes di Kota Yogyakarta dan Kabupaten Bantul

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irma Nuraeni ◽  
Hamam Hadi ◽  
Yhona Paratmanitya
Keyword(s):  
Diabetes Mellitus ◽  
School Children ◽  
Elementary School Children ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Statistical Test ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Obese Children

ABSTRACT<br /><br />Background: Curently, Indonesia has double burden problems nutrition, such as malnutrition and over nutrition. Overnutrition or obesity are not just happening in adults only, but also can occur in childhood. If the problem of obesity in children and adolescents cannot be resolved, it can be infl uenced obese in adulthood then potentially to have noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Prevalence of obesity in<br />children at Yogyakarta Province increases year by year (1;2). Obesity was caused by an imbalance in energy intake and<br />energy expenditure. Children tend to consume high energy-dense, sweet  taste meal, high fat foods and less dietary fiber from fruits and vegetables. Several studies showed that there was increasing in risk of obesity from someone who have less consumption of fruits and vegetables.<br /><br />Objective:<br />To determine differences in frequency and amount of fruit and vegetable consumption in elementary school children obese and non-obese at Yogyakarta Municipality and  District of Bantul and to find out the risk of obesity in children who have less consumption of fruits and vegetables. <br /><br />Methods:<br />The study design was a case-control, 244 samples as cases (obese children) and 244 controls (non-obesechildren). The subject of this study was children aged 6-12 years who were seated in class 1 to class 5 elementary schools at Yogyakarta Municipality and District of Bantul. Identity data obtained from a structured questionnaire respondent, frequency and amount of fruit and vegetable consumption were taken from Semi Quantitative Food Frequency Questioner(SQFFQ).Then the results analyzed using statistical test.<br /><br />Results: <br />Statistical test showed that there were significant differences (p&lt;0,05) in the frequency and number of fruit and vegetable consumption in obese and non-obese elementary school children at Yogyakarta Municipality and District of Bantul. Multivariate analysis after controlled by gender and energy intake, showed that obese  children who rarely consuming fruits (&lt;7 times/week) (OR=2,24, 95%CI: 1.53-3.28), rarely consuming vegetables (&lt;7 times/week) (OR=2,52, 95%CI: 1,70-3,73), and consuming fruits and vegetables less than 5 servings/day (equivalent to 400 g/day) (OR= 4,59, 95%CI:2,11-10,00) were greater risk for being obesity.<br /><br />Conclusion:<br />Obese children had rarely and less consume of fruits and vegetables than that did in non-obese children at Yogyakarta Municipality and District of Bantul. The children rarely and less consuming fruits and vegetables increased the risk of obesity.<br /><br />KEYWORDS: children obesity, vegetable, fruit<br /><br />ABSTRAK<br /><br />Latar Belakang: Indonesia saat ini mengalami masalah gizi ganda, yaitu masalah gizi kurang dan gizi lebih. Kelebihan  gizi atau obesitas pada anak dan remaja apabila tidak diatasi maka berdampak menjadi obesitas pada masa dewasa yang berpotensi mengalami penyakit tidak menular, seperti jantung, hipertensi dan diabetes mellitus. Prevalensi obesitas pada anak di Provinsi Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta mengalami peningkatan dari tahun ke tahun (1; 2). Obesitas disebabkan ketidakseimbangan antara masukan dengan keluaran energi. Anak cenderung mengkonsumsi padat energi yang berasa manis dan berlemak tinggi serta makanan kurang serat dari buah dan sayur. Beberapa penelitian menunjukkan peningkatan risiko obesitas pada orang yang kurang konsumsi buah dan sayur.<br /><br />Tujuan: Untuk mengetahui perbedaan frekuensi dan jumlah konsumsi buah dan sayur pada anak SD obes dan tidak obes di Kota Yogyakarta dan Kabupaten Bantul serta peran konsumsi buah dan sayur terhadap kejadian obesitas. <br /><br />Metode: Rancangan penelitian ini adalah case-control, 244 kasus (anak obes) dan 244 kontrol (anak tidak obes). Subjek penelitian adalah anak usia 6-12 tahun yang duduk di kelas 1 hingga kelas 5 sekolah dasar di Kota Yogyakarta dan di Kabupaten Bantul. Data identitas diperoleh dari kuesioner terstruktur, sedangkan data frekuensi dan jumlah konsumsi buah dan sayur diperoleh dari semikuantitatif FFQ. Hasilnya kemudian dianalisis menggunakan uji statistik.<br /><br />Hasil: Pada anak SD obes dan tidak obes di Kota Yogyakarta dan Kabupaten Bantul terdapat perbedaan yang signifikan(p&lt;0,05) dalam frekuensi dan jumlah konsumsi buah dan sayur. Hasil analisis multivariat setelah dikontrol dengan jenis kelamin dan asupan energi menunjukkan bahwa anak SD obes yang mengkonsumsi buah jarang (&lt; 7 kali/minggu) (OR=2,24, 95%CI:1,53-3,28), frekuensi konsumsi sayur jarang (&lt;7 kali/minggu) (OR=2,52, 95%CI: 1,70-3,73), jumlah konsumsi buah dan sayur kurang dari 5 porsi/hari atau setara dengan 400 gr/hari (OR=4,59, 95%CI: 2,11-10,00) berisiko lebih besar untuk terjadinya obesitas. <br /><br />Kesimpulan: Anak SD yang obes lebih jarang dan lebih sedikit mengkonsumsi buah dan sayur dibandingkan dengan anak SD yang tidak obes di Kota Yogyakarta dan Kabupaten Bantul. Anak yang jarang dan sedikit mengkonsumsi buah dan sayur dapat meningkatkan risiko terjadinya obesitas.<br /><br />KATA KUNCI: obesitas anak, sayur, buah

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