Integrative analysis of dietary water footprint and dietary quality – Towards the practical application of sustainable nutrition

Abstract The contribution of food production to the environmental burden is considerable, therefore, numerous countries have been trying to create a sustainable food supply chain to ensure food and nutrition security. The scope of this study was to analyse the association between water footprint and healthiness based on dietary records. Furthermore, it was aimed to create a classification of integrative dietary indicators of sustainable nutrition. With these methodological aims, the dietary records of 25 healthy adults were assessed. The dietary quality scores and dietary water footprint were calculated and Spearman's rank correlation was tested between them. The indicator nutrients were classified based on their advantageous or disadvantageous health impact and association with water footprint. There was a significant positive correlation between the meat consumption and water footprint, while significant negative correlations were found between the dietary quality score and water footprint and dietary quality score and meat consumption (P < 0.05). Protein, energy, sodium, and saturated fatty acids as integrated indicator nutrients could be identified for both dietary quality and water footprint. The improvement in dietary quality could simultaneously decrease the dietary water footprint. The integration of environmental impact into the analysis of diets could be the future direction in the counseling practice of nutritionists.

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Comparison of a Web-Based Dietary Assessment Tool with Software for the Evaluation of Dietary Records / Primerjava Spletne Aplikacije in Računalniškega Programa Za Ovrednotenje Prehranskih Dnevnikov

Slovenian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1515/sjph-2015-0014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 54 (2) ◽

pp. 91-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Evgen Benedik ◽

Barbara Koroušić Seljak ◽

Maša Hribar ◽

Irena Rogelj ◽

Borut Bratanič ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Dietary Assessment ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Statistical Correlation ◽

Web Based ◽

Software Application ◽

Open Platform ◽

Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽

Dietary Records

Abstract Background. Dietary assessment in clinical practice is performed by means of computer support, either in the form of a web-based tool or software. The aim of the paper is to present the results of the comparison of a Slovenian web-based tool with German software for the evaluation of four-day weighted paper-andpencil- based dietary records (paper-DRs) in pregnant women. Methods. A volunteer group of pregnant women (n=63) completed paper-DRs. These records were entered by an experienced research dietitian into a web-based application (Open Platform for Clinical Nutrition, OPEN, http://opkp.si/en, Ljubljana, Slovenia) and software application (Prodi 5.7 Expert plus, Nutri- Science, Stuttgart, Germany, 2011). The results for calculated energy intake, as well as 45 macro- and micronutrient intakes, were statistically compared by using the non-parametric Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. The cut-off for Spearman’s rho was set at >0.600. Results. 12 nutritional parameters (energy, carbohydrates, fat, protein, water, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, dietary fiber, vitamin C, folic acid, and stearic acid) were in high correlation (>0.800), 18 in moderate (0.600-0.799), 11 in weak correlation (0.400-0.599), while 5 (arachidonic acid, niacin, alphalinolenic acid, fluoride, total sugars) did not show any statistical correlation. Conclusion. Comparison of the results of the evaluation of dietary records using a web-based dietary assessment tool with those using software shows that there is a high correlation for energy and macronutrient content.

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Towards the sustainable food consumption in central Europe: Stochastic relationship between water footprint and nutrition

Acta Alimentaria ◽

10.1556/066.2020.49.1.11 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 86-92

Author(s):

O. Tompa ◽

A. Kiss ◽

Z. Lakner

Keyword(s):

Food Consumption ◽

Water Footprint ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Initial Step ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Food Items ◽

Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽

Nutrient Density ◽

Complex Evaluation ◽

Hungarian Population

Sustainable nutrition (SN) considers the environmental impact of food production. This study aims to analyse the relationship between nutrient density and water footprint (WF) of the most consumed food items in Hungary and to create a classification of nutrients. Based on a comprehensive analysis of literature and different data sources, the authors analysed the stochastic relationship between WF and nutrient density of different food items by Spearman's rank correlation. The analysis proved significant (P<0.05) relationship between nutrient density and WF of the most relevant food items in Hungary. Based on the classification, there are nutrients that are overconsumed among the Hungarian population and positively correlate with WF (e.g., cholesterol) and there are nutrients that are under-consumed among the Hungarian population and negatively correlate with WF (e.g., dietary fibres). In general, it can be concluded that the re-structuration of food consumption patterns in Hungary is an important and urgent task, which serves both the public health and ecologic goals. These efforts should be based on a complex evaluation of the problem. This study was one initial step to analyse SN focused on Hungary and further studies are definitely needed.

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Reproducibility and validity of food group intake in a short food frequency questionnaire for the middle-aged Japanese population

Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12199-021-00951-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nahomi Imaeda ◽

Chiho Goto ◽

Tae Sasakabe ◽

Haruo Mikami ◽

Isao Oze ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Frequency Questionnaire ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Correlation Coefficients ◽

Food Group ◽

Food Groups ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Food Frequency ◽

Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽

Dietary Records ◽

Z Scores

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of a short food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for food group intake in Japan, the reproducibility and partial validity of which were previously confirmed for nutrients. Methods A total of 288 middle-aged healthy volunteers from 11 different areas of Japan provided nonconsecutive 3-day weighed dietary records (DRs) at 3-month intervals over four seasons. We evaluated reproducibility based on the first (FFQ1) and second (FFQ2) questionnaires and their validity against the DRs by comparing the intake of 20 food groups. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (SRs) were calculated between energy-adjusted intake from the FFQs and that from the DRs. Results The intake of 20 food groups estimated from the two FFQs was mostly equivalent. The median energy-adjusted SRs between the FFQ1 and FFQ2 were 0.61 (range 0.38–0.86) for men and 0.66 (0.45–0.84) for women. For validity, the median de-attenuated SRs between DRs and the FFQ1 were 0.51 (0.17–0.76) for men and 0.47 (0.23–0.77) for women. Compared with the DRs, the proportion of cross-classification into exact plus adjacent quintiles with the FFQ1 ranged from 58 to 86% in men and from 57 to 86% in women. According to the robust Z scores and the Bland–Altman plot graphs, the underestimation errors in the FFQ1 tended to be greater in individuals with high mean levels of consumption for meat for men and for other vegetables for both men and women. Conclusion The FFQ demonstrated high reproducibility and reasonable validity for food group intake. This questionnaire is short and remains appropriate for identifying associations between diet and health/disease among adults in Japan.

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PNNS-GS2: Development and validation of a dietary quality score reflecting the French nutritional recommendations of 2017

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665120003547 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽

Author(s):

Dan Chaltiel ◽

Moufidath Adjibade ◽

Valérie Deschamps ◽

Mathilde Touvier ◽

Serge Hercberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diet Quality ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Biological Indicators ◽

Quality Score ◽

Biological Data ◽

Dietary Guidelines ◽

Dietary Quality ◽

Sample Mean ◽

Mortality And Morbidity ◽

Dietary Records

AbstractIntroductionThe food-based dietary guidelines having been revised in March 2017, it appeared necessary to update the National Nutrition Health Program - Guidelines Score (PNNS-GS), the diet quality score developed according to the 2001 recommendations. This study was therefore aimed at developing and validating the PNNS-GS2, the diet quality score based on the new recommendations.Material and methodsOur sample included 80,965 French adults enrolled in the prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort. Collected data included 24-hour dietary records over two years, socio-demographic data, and (in a sub-sample of 16,938 individuals) clinical and biological indicators. The cut-offs and weights of the components of the PNNS-GS2 were developed collegially by nutrition experts who were involved in the update of the recommendations. The score has 13 components for a theoretical value ranging from -∞ to 13.5 points. Nutritional, socio-demographic, clinical, and biological data were described according to the PNNS-GS2 quintile. The face, content, construct and criterion validities were also evaluated.ResultsIn our sample, mean PNNS-GS2 was 2.1 (SD = 3.1) in women and -0.3 (SD = 3.6) in men. A high PNNS-GS2 (and therefore a better adherence to the new recommendations) was positively associated with (mean difference Q5-Q1) a high age (Δwomen = + 8.4 / Δmen = + 4.7 years), higher educational level (Δwomen = + 3.9 / Δmen = + 7.4% with a university level), more physical activity (Δwomen = + 13.3 / Δmen = + 3.5% with ≥ 60 min/day) and a larger proportion of non-smokers (Δwomen = + 9.7 / Δmen = + 13.7%). A high PNNS-GS2 was also positively associated with a higher fiber intake (Δwomen = + 8.7 / Δmen = + 10.7 g/d) or vitamin C (Δwomen = + 36.6 / Δmen = + 43.8 mg/d), and negatively with mean arterial pressure (Δwomen = -3.0 / Δmen = -2.8 mmHg) and plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations (Δwomen = -0.07 / Δmen = -0.06 g/L) and triglycerides (Δwomen = -0.1 / Δmen = -0.16 g/L). All tests were significant (p < 0.05).DiscussionAssociations observed between the PNNS-GS2 and socio-demographic, nutritional and clinico-biological factors are consistent and corroborate its validity. Further studies will be needed to estimate its association with mortality and morbidity.

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Validations of the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS)

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2012000200015 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 367-374 ◽

Cited By ~ 58

Author(s):

Paulo Antônio Martins-Júnior ◽

Joana Ramos-Jorge ◽

Saul Martins Paiva ◽

Leandro Silva Marques ◽

Maria Letícia Ramos-Jorge

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Oral Health ◽

Internal Consistency ◽

Discriminant Validity ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Health Impact ◽

Family Impact ◽

Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽

Brazilian Version ◽

Impact Scale

This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS). A total of 247 children aged 2 to 5 years and their parents/guardians participated in this study. A clinical oral examination was performed and the parents/guardians completed the ECOHIS questionnaire. Within a period of four-weeks, 20% of the participants repeated the ECOHIS questionnaire. Construct validity was determined using Spearman's rank correlation. Discriminant validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability were also evaluated. The children were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (with dental caries) and group 2 (caries-free). Children with caries showed higher mean ECOHIS scores than the caries-free children. The child impact section (p < 0.01), family impact section (p < 0.01) and total ECOHIS scores (p < 0.01) were significantly correlated with tooth decay. Cronbach's alpha coefficients demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency. The Brazilian version of the ECOHIS is a valid instrument for assessing oral health-related quality of life in preschool children with Brazilian Portuguese-speaking primary caregivers.

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A Study of the Relationships between Nursing Students’ Meanings of Life, Positive Beliefs, and Well-Being

International Journal of Innovative Research in Medical Science ◽

10.23958/ijirms/vol03-i01/02 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 3 (01) ◽

Author(s):

Fu-Ju Tsai ◽

Cheng-Yu Chen ◽

Gwo-Liang Yeh ◽

Yih-Jin Hu ◽

Chie-Chien Tseng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Nursing Students ◽

Analysis Of Variance ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Meaning Of Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Social Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Nursing Educators ◽

Spearman’S Rank Correlation

Background: Nursing educators should train nursing students to pursue physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health promotion. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between nursing students’ meaning of life, positive beliefs, and well-being. Methods: A cross-sectional correlational study with a quantitative approach was adopted. Purposive sampling was used. A total of 170 nursing students voluntarily participated in this study. A 56-item questionnaire was used to examine nursing students’ meaning of life (1-25 items), positive beliefs (1-11 items), and well-being (1-20 items). The content validity index (CVI) of the study questionnaire was established as 0.95 by seven expert scholars. The reliability values for the three parts of the measure were as follows: meaning of life, Cronbach’s α 0.96; positive beliefs, Cronbach’s α 0.93; and well-being, Cronbach’s α 0.95. Percentages, frequencies, means, SDs, Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance by rank, Spearman’s rank correlation, one-way analysis of variance, Spearman’s rho correlation, and regression analysis were used for the data analysis. Results: Nursing students had the following mean scores: meaning of life with 4.02 (SD 0.56); positive beliefs with 3.92 (SD 0.62); and well-being with 3.95 (SD 0.57). The results indicate that for all nursing students, meaning of life was positively correlated with positive beliefs, r=0.83 (P<.01); similarly, all nursing students had positive beliefs that were positively correlated with meaning of life, r=0.83 (P<.01). In the results of the study, the nursing students’ background, meaning of life and positive beliefs explained 63% of the variance in well-being (Adjusted R2 squared =0.63, F=33.41, P<.001). Conclusions: Nursing students’ sense of meaning of life and positive beliefs may impact their well-being. Therefore, nursing educators can promote meaning of life and positive beliefs to nursing students as a way to increase their well-being for physical, psychological, spiritual, and social health promotion.

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Pregnant Women Living with Obesity: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study of Dietary Quality and Pregnancy Outcomes

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13051652 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 1652

Author(s):

Margaret Charnley ◽

Lisa Newson ◽

Andrew Weeks ◽

Julie Abayomi

Keyword(s):

Pregnant Women ◽

Maternal Obesity ◽

Maternal Nutrition ◽

Saturated Fatty Acids ◽

Poor Quality ◽

Dietary Quality ◽

Obstetric Outcomes ◽

Dietary Intakes ◽

Singleton Pregnancy ◽

Cross Sectional

Good maternal nutrition is key to optimal maternal and foetal health. A poor-quality diet is often associated with obesity, and the prevalence and severity of maternal obesity has increased significantly in recent years. This study observed dietary intakes in pregnant women living with obesity and assessed the quality of their diet. In total, 140 women with a singleton pregnancy, aged > 18 years and BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2, were recruited from antenatal clinics, weighed and completed food diaries at 16-, 28- and 36-weeks’ gestation. Clinical data were recorded directly from the women’s medical records. Nutrient intake was determined using ‘MicrodietTM’, then compared to Dietary Reference Values (DRVs). Energy intakes were comparable with DRVs, but intakes of sugar and saturated fatty acids were significantly higher. Intake of fibre and several key micronutrients (Iron, Iodine, Folate and Vitamin D) were significantly low. Several adverse obstetric outcomes were higher than the general obstetric population. Women with obesity, often considered ‘over nourished’, may have diets deficient in essential micronutrients, often associated with poor obstetric outcomes. To address the intergenerational transmission of poor health via poor diets warrants a multi-disciplinary approach focusing away from ‘dieting’ onto positive messages, emphasising key nutrients required for good maternal and foetal health.

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Deregulation of lncRNA HIST1H2AG-6 and AIM1-3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is associated with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes

BMC Medical Genomics ◽

10.1186/s12920-021-00994-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hui Jiang ◽

Peian Lou ◽

Xiaoluo Chen ◽

Chenguang Wu ◽

Shihe Shao

Keyword(s):

Roc Curve ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Differentially Expressed ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Biological Functions ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽

Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽

Spearman’S Rank Correlation Coefficient

Abstract Background Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is mainly affected by genetic and environmental factors; however, the correlation of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) with T2DM remains largely unknown. Methods Microarray analysis was performed to identify the differentially expressed lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in patients with T2DM and healthy controls, and the expression of two candidate lncRNAs (lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3) were further validated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to measure the degree of association between the two candidate lncRNAs and differentially expressed mRNAs. Furthermore, the KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway and GO (Gene Ontology) enrichment analysis were used to reveal the biological functions of the two candidate lncRNAs. Additionally, multivariate logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis were performed. Results The microarray analysis revealed that there were 55 lncRNAs and 36 mRNAs differentially expressed in patients with T2DM compared with healthy controls. Notably, lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 was significantly upregulated and lnc-AIM1-3 was significantly downregulated in patients with T2DM, which was validated in a large-scale qRT-PCR examination (90 controls and 100 patients with T2DM). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient revealed that both lncRNAs were correlated with 36 differentially expressed mRNAs. Furthermore, functional enrichment (KEGG and GO) analysis demonstrated that the two lncRNA-related mRNAs might be involved in multiple biological functions, including cell programmed death, negative regulation of insulin receptor signal, and starch and sucrose metabolism. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3 were significantly correlated with T2DM (OR = 5.791 and 0.071, respectively, both P = 0.000). Furthermore, the ROC curve showed that the expression of lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3 might be used to differentiate patients with T2DM from healthy controls (area under the ROC curve = 0.664 and 0.769, respectively). Conclusion The profiles of lncRNA and mRNA were significantly changed in patients with T2DM. The expression levels of lnc-HIST1H2AG-6 and lnc-AIM1-3 genes were significantly correlated with some features of T2DM, which may be used to distinguish patients with T2DM from healthy controls and may serve as potential novel biomarkers for diagnosis in the future.

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Magnetic resonance cisternography imaging findings related to the leakage of Gadolinium into the subarachnoid space

Japanese Journal of Radiology ◽

10.1007/s11604-021-01137-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rei Nakamichi ◽

Toshiaki Taoka ◽

Hisashi Kawai ◽

Tadao Yoshida ◽

Michihiko Sone ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Subarachnoid Space ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Predictive Performance ◽

Roc Curves ◽

Imaging Findings ◽

Spearman’S Rank Correlation ◽

Sagittal Sinus ◽

Magnetic Resonance Cisternography

Abstract Purpose To identify magnetic resonance cisternography (MRC) imaging findings related to Gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) leakage into the subarachnoid space. Materials and methods The number of voxels of GBCA leakage (V-leak) on 3D-real inversion recovery images was measured in 56 patients scanned 4 h post-intravenous GBCA injection. Bridging veins (BVs) were identified on MRC. The numbers of BVs with surrounding cystic structures (BV-cyst), with arachnoid granulations protruding into the superior sagittal sinus (BV-AG-SSS) and the skull (BV-AG-skull), and including any of these factors (BV-incl) were recorded. Correlations between these variables and V-leak were examined based on the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to investigate the predictive performance of GBCA leakage. Results V-leak and the number of BV-incl were strongly correlated (r = 0.609, p < 0.0001). The numbers of BV-cyst and BV-AG-skull had weaker correlations with V-leak (r = 0.364, p = 0.006; r = 0.311, p = 0.020, respectively). The number of BV-AG-SSS was not correlated with V-leak. The ROC curve for contrast leakage exceeding 1000 voxels and the number of BV-incl had moderate accuracy, with an area under the curve of 0.871. Conclusion The number of BV-incl may be a predictor of GBCA leakage and a biomarker for waste drainage function without using GBCA.

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Predicting presenteeism using measures of health status

Quality of Life Research ◽

10.1007/s11136-021-02936-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Cheryl Jones ◽

Katherine Payne ◽

Alexander Thompson ◽

Suzanne M. M. Verstappen

Keyword(s):

Health Status ◽

Online Survey ◽

Activity Index ◽

Work Productivity ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Ordinary Least Squares ◽

Statistical Correlation ◽

Least Squares Regression ◽

Mapping Algorithm ◽

Spearman’S Rank Correlation

Abstract Objectives To identify whether it is feasible to develop a mapping algorithm to predict presenteeism using multiattribute measures of health status. Methods Data were collected using a bespoke online survey in a purposive sample (n = 472) of working individuals with a self-reported diagnosis of Rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Survey respondents were recruited using an online panel company (ResearchNow). This study used data captured using two multiattribute measures of health status (EQ5D-5 level; SF6D) and a measure of presenteeism (WPAI, Work Productivity Activity Index). Statistical correlation between the WPAI and the two measures of health status (EQ5D-5 level; SF6D) was assessed using Spearman’s rank correlation. Five regression models were estimated to quantify the relationship between WPAI and predict presenteeism using health status. The models were specified based in index and domain scores and included covariates (age; gender). Estimated and observed presenteeism were compared using tenfold cross-validation and evaluated using Root mean square error (RMSE). Results A strong and negative correlation was found between WPAI and: EQ5D-5 level and WPAI (r = − 0.64); SF6D (r =− 0.60). Two models, using ordinary least squares regression were identified as the best performing models specifying health status using: SF6D domains with age interacted with gender (RMSE = 1.7858); EQ5D-5 Level domains and age interacted with gender (RMSE = 1.7859). Conclusions This study provides indicative evidence that two existing measures of health status (SF6D and EQ5D-5L) have a quantifiable relationship with a measure of presenteeism (WPAI) for an exemplar application of working individuals with RA. A future study should assess the external validity of the proposed mapping algorithms.

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