scholarly journals Environmental Intervention in a University Canteen with Focus on Decision Guidance—Effects on Sale and Daily Consumption of Vegetables and Fruit

Author(s):  
Melanie Schneider ◽  
Carolin Nössler ◽  
Petra Maria Lührmann

The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether an environmental intervention in a university canteen changes the sale and daily consumption of vegetables and fruit among canteen users. The intervention focused on decision guidance, including a positive incentive and nudging. In a pretest−posttest-design, daily sales data of pieces (pcs) of vegetable components and fruit, as well as the sale per main component (pcs/mc), were assessed. Here, 20 opening days were analyzed, each after the intervention (t1) and in the same period of the previous year (t0). Vegetable and fruit consumption were assessed in a controlled pretest−posttest design (3-day-dietary-record, t0 and t1). The intervention group (IG; n = 46) visited the canteen ≥ once/week, and the control group (CG; n = 49) < once/week. At t1, the sale of absolute vegetable components did not change (t0: 132.3 ± 49.7 pcs, p > 0.05), but more per main component were sold at t1 (t0: 0.54 ± 0.09, Δ: 0.09 ± 0.13 pcs/mc, p < 0.05). In addition, the sale of fruit (t0: 17.4 ± 11.6, Δ: 8.3 ± 10.8 pcs, p < 0.05; t0: 0.07 ± 0.03, Δ: 0.05 ± 0.07 pcs/mc, p < 0.001) increased after the intervention. The total consumption of vegetables (IG, t0: 260 ± 170 g/d, CG, t0: 220 ± 156 g/d; p > 0.05) and fruit (IG, t0: 191 ± 109 g/d; CG, t0: 186 ± 141 g/d; p > 0.05), however, did not change. To effectively change daily consumption, the intervention needs to be expanded.

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (09) ◽  
pp. 992-1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mozhgan Esmaeilpour ◽  
Sedigheh Ghasemian ◽  
Mohammad Alizadeh

AbstractAlthough previous studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of some components of whole grains on premenstrual syndrome (PMS), our literature review shows that no clinical trial has studied the effect of whole grain consumption on PMS so far. Therefore, the present study was designed to study the effect of diets rich in whole grains on PMS among nurses. This study is a parallel controlled clinical trial with a 3-month intervention period in which, after following two menstrual cycles among nurses, 100 nurses diagnosed with PMS were randomly divided into two groups of intervention and control, with fifty individuals in each. Those in the intervention group replaced at least four servings of refined grains in their daily diets with whole grains. To supply four servings, 120 g of bread made with whole flour was given to the intervention group on a daily basis. Those in the control group, however, continued their regular daily consumption of grains. The two groups were compared regarding PMS symptoms after adjusting the confounding variables. The repeated measurement test showed that the interaction between the time factor and the experimental group on the mean score of PMS symptoms was significant. That is, the intervention group showed a significant decrease in the general, mood, physical and behavioural symptoms of PMS compared with the controls (P&lt;0·001, P=0·01, P&lt;0·001 and P=0·003, respectively). Therefore, daily consumption of whole grains in place of refined grains can contribute to improvement in PMS symptoms. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlyn Edwards ◽  
Anne Walk ◽  
Sharon Thompson ◽  
Ginger Reeser ◽  
John Erdman ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Overweight and obesity affect over two-thirds of the US population. This is concerning, as excess adiposity increases risk for dementia in later life. Thus, it is important to elucidate dietary approaches that benefit cognition. Lutein is a xanthophyll carotenoid thought to impact cognitive function. Daily consumption of avocado has been shown to improve cognitive function and lutein status but it is not clear whether these benefits extend to populations with overweight and obesity. Thus, we evaluated the influence of daily avocado consumption on cognitive function, serum lutein concentrations, and retinal xanthophyll status among adults with overweight and obesity using a randomized-controlled study. Methods Adults (N = 72, 25–45 years, 31 males) with overweight or obesity (BMI 25 kg/m2) were randomized to an intervention group (N = 38) that received a daily meal with one avocado or a control group (N = 34) that received an isocaloric meal without avocado for 12 weeks. Fasting serum lutein concentrations were evaluated through high-performance liquid chromatography. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) was assessed through heterochromatic flicker photometry. Selective attention was assessed by a modified Flanker task. Results Group by time interactions were seen for serum lutein concentrations (P = 0.002) and flanker accuracy (P = 0.006) whereby the intervention group exhibited a more substantial increase in serum lutein concentrations (0.04 ug/ml; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.06) and overall task accuracy (2.4%; 95% CI, 0.4 to 4.5). However, there was no relationship between task performance and changes in serum lutein concentration (P = 0.23), nor changes in MPOD. Conclusions Daily consumption of a meal containing avocado improved selective attention and serum lutein concentrations among adults with overweight and obesity. The cognitive benefits of avocado consumption were apparent even prior to changes in retinal lutein status. Given that avocados are comprised of a variety of nutrients, additional work is necessary to determine non-carotenoid dependent mechanisms by which avocados may impact cognitive function. Funding Sources This work was supported by funds from the Hass Avocado Board, the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois, and the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project 1009249.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e23045-e23045
Author(s):  
Gil Bar-Sela ◽  
Adva Avisar ◽  
Talia Shentzer Kutiel ◽  
Miri Cohen ◽  
Anat Aharon

e23045 Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended in stage II-III colorectal cancer (CC). Wheatgrass juice (WGJ), has high nutritional values may attenuate chemotherapy adverse events (AE). Extracellular vehicles (EVs) are subcellular membrane blebs that provide information on cellular processes. Aim: To evaluate the incidence of chemotherapy AE and to elucidate the effects of supportive treatment of WGJ on CC patients’ EVs characteristics. Methods: In a prospective trial between 3/2014- 7/2017, 99 patients stage II-III CC, treated with standard adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled. According to patient preference, they were divided into: control group of 50 (CC-C) patients and intervention group of 49 patients who received chemotherapy plus consumption of daily 60cc frozen WGJ (CC-W). EVs were isolated from the blood samples of 15 healthy controls (HC) and 25 patients from each study group. Blood samples were taken before, during and at the end of chemotherapy, EVs characterized by membrane antigens/cytokine content Results: Study groups were well balanced. Median follow-up time was 15 months. Eleven patients had died at the time of analysis, 3 in the WGJ and 8 in the control ( p= 0.142). 11/50 (22%) and 8/49 (16.3%) had severe diarrhea in the control and WGJ groups, respectively ( p= 0.47). There was no difference between the groups in RFS (HR = 1.19 , p= 0.69). Higher levels of endothelial EVs (CD34+41, CD144), indicating vascular injury, were found in CC-C patients- compared to CC-W during and at the end of treatment. Increased EVs thrombogenicity in patients was documented, while EVs thrombogenicity was lowered in CC-W compared to CC-C during or at the end of treatment (TF, P = 0.029; TF/TF-pathway inhibitor (TFPI) ratio, p = 0.008; endothelial protein C receptor 0.005 and annexin-V 0.05). Following treatment, the majority of growth-factors/pro-inflammatory cytokines were found to be lower in CC-W than in CC-C. Conclusions: Daily consumption of WGJ during chemotherapy may reduce vascular damage and thrombogenicity. There was no statistical difference in overall survival. However, the large difference in death rate may relate to other long-standing effects of daily WGJ consumption. Clinical trial information: NCT01991080.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-9
Author(s):  
S Nargis ◽  
M Majumder ◽  
BC Debnath ◽  
MS Hossain

Egg is an easily available, inexpensive and a major source of proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals, but its cholesterol content is high (about 200 mg per egg) and it is frequently blamed for atherosclerosis with consequent cardiovascular diseases. Eggs are very popular to young people and parents are always concerned with their daily consumption. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of consumption of eggs on serum lipid profile of healthy young adults. It was a prospective comparative study carried out in the Department of Biochemistry, Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College, during the period from January to December, 2014. Eighty (80) non-diabetic, normotensive healthy young adults of 18-30 years of age were enrolled as study population. Among them 40 randomly selected subjects consumed one egg/day (Intervention group) and 40 subjects did not consume egg for 4 weeks' study period (Control group). Baseline BMI, BP, fasting blood glucose and lipid profile were estimated. After 4 weeks, lipid profile was estimated in each group. Informed written consent was taken from each participant. Permission was taken from Ethical Committee of the Institute. Data were analyzed by SPSS. Chi-square test, unpaired and paired 't' test were done. In the intervention group, serum total cholesterol (TC) and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) significantly decreased at the end of 4th week, but serum HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) and serum triglyceride (TG) did not differ significantly from baseline. In control group, serum HDL-C significantly decreased at the end of 4th week but serum TC, LDL-C and TG did not differ significantly. It may be concluded that daily consumption of one egg does not unfavorably influence on lipid profile in young adults. Further studies with larger sample size with and without risk factors may be conducted on middle and old age subjects.Bangladesh J Med Biochem 2015; 8(1): 05-09


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ida Royani ◽  
Suryani As’ad ◽  
Nasrudin A Mappaware ◽  
Mochammad Hatta ◽  
Rabia

Background. Preeclampsia is the major problem and the main leading cause of fetal and maternal mortality worldwide. The early prediction of preeclampsia in pregnant women is required to prevent the occurrence of preeclampsia. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) and roll-over test (ROT) are the combination of measurement which can be used to predict preeclampsia. On the contrary, Ajwa dates were reported to have an enormous activity which contributes to its role in improving health conditions. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of daily consumption of seven Ajwa dates on prevention of preeclampsia, through MAP and ROT changes. Methods. Forty pregnant women (n = 40) were randomly assigned into the control group (n = 10) and the intervention group which received a daily intake of Ajwa dates (n = 30). The MAP and ROT were assessed before and after the 8-week intervention period. Results. The intervention group showed the significant reduction in MAP and ROT following the 8-week intervention period (p<0.05). Conclusion. Daily consumption of seven Ajwa dates has a remarkable potential to decrease the MAP and ROT in pregnant women at risk of developing preeclampsia, and thus, it can contribute to prevent the development of preeclampsia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Marie Hovdenak ◽  
Elling Bere ◽  
Tonje Holte Stea

Abstract Introduction The importance of healthy eating in adolescence is well established. The present study examined possible effects of the free Norwegian School Fruit Scheme (NSFS), changes in dietary habits between 1995 and 2008, and whether secular changes in dietary habits differed among schools who implemented the NSFS during September 2007. Method We used data from the Young-HUNT1 survey conducted from 1995 to 1997 and the Young-HUNT3 survey conducted from 2006 to 2008, which are part of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT), a longitudinal population health study. To evaluate the NSFS, the date Young-HUNT3 participants answered the questionnaire was used to identify affiliation to the intervention group (post-September 2007, n = 1892) or control group (pre-September 2007, n = 2855). To explore dietary habits over time, adolescents attending the same schools in Young-HUNT1 (n = 4137) and Young-HUNT3 (n = 4113) were included. Further, we investigated secular changes in dietary habits according to school type (intervention schools vs control schools). In all analysis, we explored possible differential effects according to socioeconomic status (SES) and gender. A questionnaire measured adolescents’ consumption of fruit, vegetables, candy, potato chips, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and artificially sweetened beverages (ASB). Educational intention was used as a proxy for SES. Multilevel logistic regression was used. Results Within Young-HUNT3, the intervention group showed increased odds of daily consumption of fruit (aOR 1.7, 95% CI = 1.3–2.4) compared to the control group. Over time, adolescents were more likely to consume fruit (aOR = 1.48, 95% CI = 1.28–1.71), vegetables (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.28–1.53), potato chips (aOR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.26–2.04) and SSB (OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.66–2.45). Secular changes for fruit differed by school type: adolescents in intervention schools had higher odds of daily consumption (aOR = 1.82, 95% CI = 1.38–2.38) than those in control schools (aOR 1.26, 95% CI = 1.07–1.47). Conclusion The results indicated that the NSFS increased adolescents’ fruit consumption. In the period assessed, the study identified positive and negative changes in adolescents’ dietary habits.


Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1949
Author(s):  
Yannis Manios ◽  
Christina-Paulina Lambrinou ◽  
Christina Mavrogianni ◽  
Greet Cardon ◽  
Jaana Lindström ◽  
...  

The Feel4Diabetes intervention was a school and community-based intervention aiming to promote healthy lifestyle and tackle obesity and obesity-related metabolic risk factors for the prevention of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among families at risk of developing this disease. The current study aims to present the results on lifestyle behaviors obtained from parents during the first year of the Feel4Diabetes intervention. This multicomponent intervention had a cluster randomized design and was implemented in Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Hungary and Spain over two years (2016–2018). Standardized protocols and procedures were used by the participating centers in all countries to collect data on parents’ lifestyle behaviors (diet, physical activity, sedentary behavior). The Feel4Diabetes intervention was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (registration number: NCT02393872). In total, 2110 high-risk parents participated in the baseline and 12-month follow-up examination measurements. Participants allocated to the intervention group reduced their daily consumption of sugary drinks (p = 0.037) and sweets (p = 0.031) and their daily screen time (p = 0.032), compared with the control group. In addition, participants in the intervention group in Greece and Spain increased their consumption of breakfast (p = 0.034) and fruits (p = 0.029), while in Belgium and Finland they increased their water intake (p = 0.024). These findings indicate that the first year of the Feel4Diabetes intervention resulted in the improvement of certain lifestyle behaviors in parents from high-risk families.


Author(s):  
Katarzyna Wolnicka ◽  
Anna Małgorzata Taraszewska ◽  
Joanna Jaczewska-Schuetz

Background: The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) was developed to form the habit of eating fruit and vegetables (F&V) among children. The survey aimed to identify both the strengths of the scheme and areas that required support and strengthening in the further implementation of school schemes. Methods: The study was conducted from 2012 to 2015 among students of randomly selected 85 primary schools that participated in the programme (intervention group) or did not participate therein (control group). The F&V consumption among the students was evaluated based on the 3 day food record method. Other behaviours were evaluated via frequency and preference questionnaires. Results: Over the three years of implementing SFVS, fruit consumption significantly increased by approximately 30 g/day, i.e., by 18%. In the control group, it increased only by approximately 4%. At the same time, no increase in vegetable consumption was observed. A number of other positive effects of SFVS were also found. These concerned students’ nutritional attitudes and behaviours, such as a further increase in the children’s knowledge on the health aspects of F&V consumption, the levels of their consumption and an increased preference for fruit in general. Conclusions: The results indicate that providing F&V in schools free of charge can be an effective strategy for enhancing F&V consumption among children, in particular by raising the awareness of the health importance of F&V consumption and gradually influencing children’s eating habits, especially when it comes to the habit of fruit consumption. The issue of vegetable consumption is an area for intervention enhancement. There is also a need for further, in-depth analyses, taking into account the impact of potential confounding factors.


2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 197-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosely Sichieri ◽  
Ana Paula Trotte ◽  
Rita Adriana de Souza ◽  
Gloria V Veiga

AbstractObjectiveTo determine whether an educational programme aimed at discouraging students from drinking sugar-sweetened beverages could prevent excessive weight gain.DesignForty-seven classes in twenty-two schools were randomised as intervention or control.SubjectsParticipants were 1140, 9–12-year-old fourth graders (435 in the intervention group and 608 in the control group). Sugar-sweetened beverages and juice intake were measured through one 24 h recall at baseline and another at the end of the trial. The main outcome was the change in BMI (BMI = weight (kg)/height (m2)), measured at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed taking into account the cluster (classes) effect.ResultsA statistically significant decrease in the daily consumption of carbonated drinks in the intervention compared to control (mean difference = −56 ml; 95 % CI −119, −7 ml) was followed by a non-significant overall reduction in BMI, P = 0·33. However, among those students overweight at baseline, the intervention group showed greater BMI reduction (−0·4 kg/m2 compared with −0·2 kg/m2 in the control group (P = 0·11)), and this difference was statistically significant among girls (P = 0·009). Fruit juice consumption was slightly increased in the intervention group (P = 0·08), but not among girls.ConclusionDecreasing sugar-sweetened beverages intake significantly reduced BMI among overweight children, and mainly among girls. Efforts to reduce energy intake through liquids need to emphasise overall sweetened beverages and addition of sugar on juices.


2009 ◽  
Vol 102 (6) ◽  
pp. 899-906 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tonje Holte Stea ◽  
Solveig Uglem ◽  
Margareta Wandel ◽  
Mohammad Azam Mansoor ◽  
Wenche Frølich

The aim of the present investigation was to study the effect of a dietary intervention which combined nutrition information with increased availability of vegetables, fruits and wholegrain bread. The effect of the intervention was determined by changes in the intake of vegetables, fruits, wholegrain bread and estimated nutrients. Furthermore, the study investigated whether changes in relative contribution from different food sources of folate were related to changes in the concentration of plasma total homocysteine (p-tHcy). The 5-month intervention study included 376 male recruits from the Norwegian National Guard, Vaernes (intervention group) and 105 male recruits from the Norwegian National Guard, Heggelia (control group). The study resulted in an increase in the total consumption of vegetables, fruits, berries and juice (P < 0·001) and of wholegrain bread (P < 0·001). The participants in the intervention group showed a higher increase in the intake of dietary fibre (P < 0·001) and folate (P < 0·001) compared with the control group. The relative contribution of folate intake from fruits, vegetables and wholegrain bread was higher in the intervention group compared with the control group (P < 0·001 for all). The increased intake of folate from wholegrain bread was inversely associated with a reduced concentration of p-tHcy (P = 0·017). In summary, the dietary intervention resulted in an increased intake of vegetables, fruits and wholegrain bread and a subsequent increase in folate intake from these food components. Reduction in the concentration of p-tHcy was significantly related to an increased folate intake due to an increased consumption of wholegrain bread.


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