Identifying usual food choices at meals in overweight and obese study volunteers: implications for dietary advice

AbstractUnderstanding food choices made for meals in overweight and obese individuals may aid strategies for weight loss tailored to their eating habits. However, limited studies have explored food choices at meal occasions. The aim of this study was to identify the usual food choices for meals of overweight and obese volunteers for a weight-loss trial. A cross-sectional analysis was performed using screening diet history data from a 12-month weight-loss trial (the HealthTrack study). A descriptive data mining tool, the Apriori algorithm of association rules, was applied to identify food choices at meal occasions using a nested hierarchical food group classification system. Overall, 432 breakfasts, 428 lunches, 432 dinners and 433 others (meals) were identified from the intake data (n 433 participants). A total of 142 items of closely related food clusters were identified at three food group levels. At the first sub-food group level, bread emerged as central to food combinations at lunch, but unprocessed meat appeared for this at dinner. The dinner meal was characterised by more varieties of vegetables and of foods in general. The definitions of food groups played a pivotal role in identifying food choice patterns at main meals. Given the large number of foods available, having an understanding of eating patterns in which key foods drive overall meal content can help translate and develop novel dietary strategies for weight loss at the individual level.

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Exploring the effect of weight loss on food reward at the individual level

Obesity Abstracts ◽

10.1530/obabs.01.rfc2.3 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pauline Oustric ◽

Kristine Beaulieu ◽

Nuno Casanova ◽

Francois Husson ◽

Catherine Gibbons ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Food Reward ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Individual

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Understanding Food Waste, Food Insecurity, and the Gap between the Two: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10030681 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 681

Author(s):

Nora A. Althumiri ◽

Mada H. Basyouni ◽

Ali F. Duhaim ◽

Norah AlMousa ◽

Mohammed F. AlJuwaysim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Food Waste ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Household Level ◽

Individual Level ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Household Factors ◽

Cooked Food ◽

The Individual

Background: Food waste and food insecurity may co-exist in various balances in developing and developed countries. This study aimed to explore the levels of food waste and food insecurity, the factors associated with them, and their relationships at the household and individual levels in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted via computer-assisted phone interviews in January 2021. Quota sampling was utilized to generate balanced distributions of participants by gender across all the administrative regions of Saudi Arabia. Data collection included household demographics, food waste and disposal, the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Results: Out of the 2807 potential participants contacted, 2454 (87.4%) completed the interview. The mean age was 31.4 (SD = 11.7; range = 18–99) and 50.1% were female. The weighted prevalence of uncooked food waste in the last four weeks was 63.6% and the cooked food waste was 74.4%. However, the food insecurity weighted prevalence at the individual level (FIES) was 6.8%. In terms of food insecurity at the household level (HFIAS), 13.3% were in the “severely food insecure” category. Moreover, this study found that “moderately food insecure” households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste uncooked food (relative risk (RR) = 1.25), and the “mildly food insecure” (RR = 1.21) and “moderately food insecure” (RR = 1.17) households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste cooked food. However, “food secure” households were associated with a decreased likelihood to waste cooked food (RR = 0.56). Finally, this study identified four household factors associated with food waste and three household factors that were associated with “severe food insecurity.” Conclusions: This first national coverage study to explore food waste and food insecurity at the individual level and household level, identified household factors associated with food waste and food insecurity and identified new associations between food waste and food insecurity in Saudi Arabia. The associations found between food waste and food insecurity are potential areas of intervention to reduce both food waste and food insecurity at the same time, toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to food waste and food security.

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Healthy decisions in the cued-attribute food choice paradigm have high test-retest reliability

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-91933-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Zahra Barakchian ◽

Anjali Raja Beharelle ◽

Todd A. Hare

Keyword(s):

Food Choice ◽

Food Choices ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Individual Level ◽

Food Items ◽

Intervention Efficacy ◽

The Individual ◽

Test Retest Reliability ◽

Decision Mechanisms ◽

High Test

AbstractFood choice paradigms are commonly used to study decision mechanisms, individual differences, and intervention efficacy. Here, we measured behavior from twenty-three healthy young adults who completed five repetitions of a cued-attribute food choice paradigm over two weeks. This task includes cues prompting participants to explicitly consider the healthiness of the food items before making a selection, or to choose naturally based on whatever freely comes to mind. We found that the average patterns of food choices following both cue types and ratings about the palatability (i.e. taste) and healthiness of the food items were similar across all five repetitions. At the individual level, the test-retest reliability for choices in both conditions and healthiness ratings was excellent. However, test-retest reliability for taste ratings was only fair, suggesting that estimates about palatability may vary more from day to day for the same individual.

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Diet and cancer in Northeast Brazil: evaluation of eating habits and food group consumption in relation to breast cancer

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2008000400012 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 820-828 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Flávia Emília Leite de Lima ◽

Maria do Rosário Dias de Oliveira Latorre ◽

Maria José de Carvalho Costa ◽

Regina Mara Fisberg

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Dairy Products ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Strong Association ◽

Food Group ◽

Northeast Brazil ◽

Food Groups ◽

Diet And Cancer ◽

Control Study

A hospital-based case-control study was performed from August 2002 to November 2003 in Northeast Brazil. Eighty-nine women were recruited with histologically confirmed breast cancer (age 30-80 years), matched for age with 94 controls. Food consumption of cases and controls was evaluated by foods and food groups, categorized in consumption tertiles. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were obtained through unconditional logistic regression. Intake of fruits and juices, beans, and dairy products showed a strong association with reduced risk of breast cancer. Consumption of red and fried meat was positively associated with risk of breast cancer (red meat - OR = 4.30; 95%CI: 1.74-10.67; p for trend = 0.00). No association was observed in vegetable and sausage meat groups and breast cancer. Red and fried meat may be risk factors, and intake of fruit, beans, and dairy products may protect against breast cancer.

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Public service motivation and willingness to collaborate

Evidence-based HRM a Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship ◽

10.1108/ebhrm-07-2013-0018 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 80-95 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Heather Getha-Taylor ◽

Alexa Haddock-Bigwarfe

Keyword(s):

Homeland Security ◽

Public Service ◽

Public Service Motivation ◽

The Body ◽

Organizational Level ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Content Type ◽

Individual Level ◽

Original Survey ◽

The Individual

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine public service motivation (PSM) and the connection with collaborative attitudes among a sample of homeland security actors representing the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Design/methodology/approach – This study examines relationships between measures of PSM and collaboration using original survey data and hierarchical multiple regression. Findings – Findings reveal strong positive relationships between PSM measures and attitudes toward collaboration at the individual and organizational level. Research limitations/implications – Survey results are cross-sectional and are from respondents participating in a single state's homeland security summit. Practical implications – It is expected that results can be used to enhance collaboration at the individual and organizational levels. At the organizational level, results can be used for matching individuals with collaborative opportunities. At the individual level, results can be used for enhanced self-reflection and effectiveness purposes. Originality/value – This study provides insights on the relationship between PSM measures and collaborative attitudes. The research contributes to the body of scholarly work connecting PSM and correlates of interest.

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Nurses’ eating habits in Lebanon during the economic and health crises: a cross-sectional study

Archives of Public Health ◽

10.1186/s13690-021-00775-1 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 80 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Rita Georges Nohra ◽

Elissa Naim ◽

Taghrid Chaaban ◽

Monique Rothan-Tondeur

Keyword(s):

Eating Habits ◽

Multiple Stressors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Scientific Data ◽

Healthy Food ◽

Hospital Nurses ◽

Food Groups ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Nurses face multiple stressors that can influence their lifestyle, thus affecting their health status. Scarce are the scientific data on the nutritional status of nurses, especially during health crises. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the eating habits of hospital nurses in the context of an exceptional economic situation in Lebanon. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a web-based questionnaire, targeting a non-random sampling of frontline nurses using the snowball technique. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were carried out. The population of the study included all registered nurses working in the Lebanese hospitals. A total of 533 nurses completed the questionnaire; 500 surveys were selected after excluding the ones presenting conditions that may affect their eating behavior. Results The majority of the respondents were women (78.6%) with a mean age of 33 years [18-60] [SD,7.44 years]. Most of them (57.6%) had a crowding index ≥1. The consumption of different food groups decreased during these crises. There was a significant correlation between stress and deterioration of healthy food consumption, which provides beneficial nutrients and minimizes potentially harmful elements, especially for meat (OR 2.388, CI 1.463 to 3.898, P < 0.001). The decrease in monthly income showed a real impact on the consumption of healthy food such as meat (OR 2.181, CI 1.504 to 3.161, P < 001), fruits (OR 1.930, CI 1.289 to 2.888, P = 0.001), and milk and dairy products (OR 1.544, CI 1.039 to 2.295, P = 0.031). Conclusions The pandemic and in particular the economic crisis has changed the consumption of healthy food among hospital nurses in Lebanon. Similar research and support may be extended to include other frontline health care workers.

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Drug Use Changes at the Individual Level: Results from a Longitudinal, Multisite Survey in Young Europeans Frequenting the Nightlife Scene

European Addiction Research ◽

10.1159/000520118 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Meryem Grabski ◽

Jon Waldron ◽

Tom P. Freeman ◽

Claire Mokrysz ◽

Ruben J.J. van Beek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Use ◽

Online Survey ◽

Prescription Opioids ◽

Alkyl Nitrates ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Past ◽

Frequency Of Use ◽

The Individual

Background: Monitoring emerging trends in the increasingly dynamic European drug market is vital; however, information on change at the individual level is scarce. In the current study, we investigated changes in drug use over 12 months in European nightlife attendees. Method: In this longitudinal online survey, changes in substances used, use frequency in continued users, and relative initiation of use at follow-up were assessed for 20 different substances. To take part, participants had to be aged 18–34 years; be from Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, or the UK; and have attended at least 6 electronic music events in the past 12 months at baseline. Of 8,045 volunteers at baseline, 2,897 completed the survey at both time points (36% follow-up rate), in 2017 and 2018. Results: The number of people using ketamine increased by 21% (p < 0.001), and logarithmized frequency of use in those continuing use increased by 15% (p < 0.001; 95% CI: 0.07–0.23). 4-Fluoroamphetamine use decreased by 27% (p < 0.001), and logarithmized frequency of use in continuing users decreased by 15% (p < 0.001, 95% CI: −0.48 to −0.23). The drugs with the greatest proportion of relative initiation at follow-up were synthetic cannabinoids (73%, N = 30), mephedrone (44%, N = 18), alkyl nitrites (42%, N = 147), synthetic dissociatives (41%, N = 15), and prescription opioids (40%, N = 48). Conclusions: In this European nightlife sample, ketamine was found to have the biggest increase in the past 12 months, which occurred alongside an increase in frequency of use in continuing users. The patterns of uptake and discontinuation of alkyl nitrates, novel psychoactive substances, and prescription opioids provide new information that has not been captured by existing cross-sectional surveys. These findings demonstrate the importance of longitudinal assessments of drug use and highlight the dynamic nature of the European drug landscape.

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Association between area-level education and the co-occurrence of behavior-related risk factors: a multilevel analysis

Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia ◽

10.1590/1980-549720190052 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 ◽

Author(s):

Antonio Fernando Boing ◽

SV Subramanian ◽

Alexandra Crispim Boing

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Chronic Diseases ◽

Educational Level ◽

Physical Inactivity ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Significant Proportion ◽

Simultaneous Occurrence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Individual Level ◽

Unhealthy Eating

ABSTRACT: Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the association of four different risk factors for chronic diseases and accumulation of these health behaviors with area-level education, regardless of individual-level characteristics in Brazil. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out in Southern Brazil including 1,720 adults in 2009/2010. The simultaneous occurrence of tobacco smoking, abusive drinking, unhealthy eating habits, and physical inactivity was investigated. Using multilevel models, we tested whether area-level education was associated with each risk factor and with the co-occurrence of them after controlling sociodemographic individual-level variables. Results: We observed a between-group variance of 7.79, 7.11, 6.84 and 1.08% for physical inactivity, problematic use of alcohol, unhealthy eating habits, and smoking, respectively. The between-group variance for the combination of four behaviors was 14.2%. Area-level education explained a significant proportion of the variance observed in physical inactivity and unhealthy eating habits. Residents of low educational level neighborhoods showed a 2.40 (95%CI 1.58 - 3.66) times higher chance of unhealthy eating and 1.78 (95%CI 1.19 - 2.67) times higher chance of physical inactivity. The likelihood of individuals with two or three/four risk factors was simultaneously higher among residents of low educational level neighborhoods. Conclusion: Public policies should consider the area-level characteristics, including education to control risk factors for chronic diseases.

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Factors Associated with Perceived Trust of False Abortion Websites: A Cross-Sectional Online Survey (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.25323 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sarina Rebecca Chaiken ◽

Lisa Han ◽

Blair G Darney ◽

Leo Han

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Correlation Matrices ◽

Individual Level ◽

Perceived Trust ◽

Neutral Site ◽

Design Characteristics ◽

The Individual

BACKGROUND The majority of patients use the internet to search for health information. While there is a vast repository of searchable information online, much of the content is unregulated and therefore potentially incorrect, conflicting, or confusing. Abortion information online is particularly prone to being inaccurate as anti-choice websites publish purposefully misleading information in formats that appear as neutral resources. To understand how anti-choice websites appear neutral, we need to understand the specific website features of anti-choice features that impart trust to viewers. OBJECTIVE We sought to identify characteristics of false or misleading abortion websites that make these websites appear trustworthy to the public. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study using Amazon.com Inc’s Mechanical Turk platform. We used validated questionnaires to ask participants to rate eleven anti-choice sites and one neutral site identified by experts, focusing on site content, creators, and design. We collected socio-demographic data and participant views on abortion. We used a composite measure of “mean overall trust” as our primary outcome. Using correlation matrices, we determined which website characteristics were most associated with overall trust. Finally, we used linear regression to identify participant characteristics associated with overall trust. RESULTS Our analytic sample included 498 participants ranging from ages 22 to 70, 50.1% of whom identified as female. Across eleven anti-choice sites, creator trust (“I believe that the creators of this site are honest and trustworthy”) had the highest correlation coefficient with overall trust (0.70). Professional appearance (0.59), look and feel (0.59), perception that the information is created by experts (0.59), association with a trustworthy organization (0.58), valued features and functionalities (0.54), and interactive capabilities (0.52) all demonstrated strong relationships with overall trust. At the individual level, pro-choice leaning was associated with higher overall trust of the neutral site (B: -0.43, CI: -0.87, 0.01) and lower overall trust of the anti-choice sites (B: 0.52, CI: 0.05, .99). CONCLUSIONS The overall trustworthiness of anti-choice websites is most associated with design characteristics and perceived trustworthiness of the site creator. Those who believe that access to abortion should be limited are more likely to trust anti-choice websites.

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The individual side of ambidexterity

Employee Relations ◽

10.1108/er-02-2018-0050 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 41 (3) ◽

pp. 592-613 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Andrés Salas Vallina ◽

Maria D. Moreno-Luzon ◽

Anna Ferrer-Franco

Keyword(s):

Structural Equation ◽

Public Hospitals ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Exploration And Exploitation ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Learning Capability ◽

Content Type ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Individual ◽

The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to examine whether inspirational leadership of heads of specialized medical units is related to individual ambidexterity of their dependent physicians; and second, to study the possible mediating role of organizational learning capability (OLC) in the relationship between inspirational leadership and individual ambidexterity.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was used on a sample of 194 medical specialists from Spanish public hospitals.FindingsResults show that inspirational leadership is positively related to individual ambidexterity among healthcare physicians. In addition, the results of the study revealed that the relationship between inspirational leadership and individual ambidexterity is mediated by conditions that facilitate learning, namely, OLC.Research limitations/implicationsThis study uses cross-sectional data, which do not guarantee causality relationships among the examined variables.Practical implicationsThe results of this paper suggest first that heads of healthcare units should inspire followers to achieve both exploration and exploitation. Second, it is also necessary to consider that inspirational leaders promote those conditions that facilitate learning, which should be particularly taken into account to enhance both physician’s exploration and exploitation.Originality/valueIn stressing an evident gap in the relationship between leadership and ambidexterity at the individual level, this paper attempts to advance in the leadership literature by revealing how the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions, and enhancing enthusiasm and confidence, empowers physicians to both explore and exploit knowledge. The results also indicate that the inspiration transmitted by the heads of medical services, facilitate physician’s perceived learning conditions which, in turn, fosters their individual ambidexterity.

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