Deteriorated Dietary Patterns with Regards to Health and Environmental Sustainability among Hungarian Roma Are Not Differentiated from Those of the General Population

Nutritional epidemiology studies on Roma people are scarce and, to date, their nutrient-based dietary patterns with regards to both healthy and sustainable dietary considerations have never been reported. We report, for the first time, adherence to healthy and sustainable dietary patterns using scoring and regression models, based on recommendations defined by the World Health Organization, in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study and the EAT-Lancet report, as well as dietary quality based on Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) among the Hungarian Roma (HR) population living in North East Hungary, with Hungarian general (HG) adults as reference. Data were obtained from a complex, comparative health survey involving dietary assessment, structured questionnaire-based interview, physical and laboratory examinations on 359 HG and 344 HR subjects in Northeast Hungary. Poisson regressions were fit to models that included DASH, EAT, DII and Healthy Diet Indicator as dependent variables to assess the influence of ethnicity on healthy and sustainable nutrient-based patterns. Adjusted models controlled for all relevant covariates using the residual method indicated poor dietary quality with regards to the selected dietary patterns. These associations were not ethnicity-sensitive, except for DII, where Roma ethnicity was linked to a decrease of DII score (β = −0.455, 95%CI: −0.720; −0.191, p < 0.05). Currently, HR dietary patterns appear to be relatively unhealthy and unsustainable, rendering them vulnerable to elevated risk of ill-health. Nevertheless, their dietary patterns did not strongly differ from HG, which may contribute to Hungarians being one of the most obese and malnourished nations in Europe. Further prospective research on the potential public and environmental health effects of these findings is warranted.

Download Full-text

Groundwater Quality Assessment Using Geospatial Techniques and WQI in North East of Adama Town, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Hydrospatial Analysis ◽

10.21523/gcj3.19030103 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 22-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Shankar Karuppannan ◽

Nafyad Serre Kawo

Keyword(s):

Groundwater Quality ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

World Health ◽

Geospatial Techniques ◽

Distribution Maps ◽

North East ◽

Drinking And Irrigation ◽

Groundwater Samples ◽

Arc Gis ◽

Health Organization

Assessment of groundwater quality is vital for the sustainable use of the resources for domestic and agricultural purposes. In this study spatial variation of physicochemical parameters were analyzed for Northeast Adama Town. Water Quality Index (WQI) and irrigation indices were used to determine the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes, respectively. Further, the physical-chemical results were compared with the Ethiopian standards and the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking and public health. Using GIS interpolation methods in Arc GIS 10.3.1, spatial distribution maps of pH, TDS, EC, Cl−, HCO32−, SO42−, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+, RSC, SAR, Na% were prepared. Results indicated that except ASTU well 2, all samples are below the desirable limits of WHO. The WQI results indicated that 85% of samples and 15% of samples were in good and poor categories, respectively. Irrigation indices show that the most groundwater samples have excellent water classes, indicating that they are suitable for irrigation purposes.

Download Full-text

Comparison of body mass index values proposed by Cole et al. (2000) and Must et al. (1991) for identifying obese children with weight-for-height index recommended by the World Health Organization

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1079/phn2002426 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 307-311 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Marcelo Militão Abrantes ◽

Joel Alves Lamounier ◽

Enrico Antônio Colosimo

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Body Mass ◽

World Health ◽

Overweight Children ◽

Obese Children ◽

North East ◽

Life Pattern ◽

Definition Of ◽

Health Organization ◽

Sensitivity Specificity

AbstractObjectives:To calculate the sensitivity, specificity and agreement of body mass index (BMI) values proposed by Cole et al. (Br. Med. J. 2000; 320: 1) and Must et al. (Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1991; 53: 839 & 54: 773) with weight-for-height index in the nutritional evaluation of children.Design:Criterion standards for diagnostic tests.Setting:North-east and south-east Brazil.Subjects:Two thousand nine hundred and twenty children studied in Life Pattern Research performed by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics in 1997. Main outcome measures are the sensitivity, specificity and agreement of BMI values proposed by Must et al. (1991) and Cole et al. (2000).Results:Sensitivity of values proposed by both authors was around 90%. Specificity was almost 100% considering weight-for-height index as the gold standard. The agreement of both values with weight-for-height index, based on kappa results, was good and in pre-school children it was excellent.Conclusions:Values proposed by Cole et al. (2000) and Must et al. (1991) should be used carefully to screen obesity in childhood but can be used to ‘diagnose’ overweight children with a very low chance of having false-positive results. Although the values proposed by both authors performed similarly, use of Cole et al.'s values should be encouraged. The latter cover children from 2 to 6 years old; their values are presented for six-month age intervals; they are based on a larger sample from six different countries; and they are related to the definition of adult obesity.

Download Full-text

Education for Sustainable Development as Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation: A Literature Review

JPAIR Multidisciplinary Research ◽

10.7719/jpair.v7i1.151 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Donna Lou E. Neri

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Global Climate ◽

Well Being ◽

Developed Countries ◽

World Health ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization ◽

Keywords Education

The World Health Organization (2003) stated that there is growing evidence that changes in the global climate will have profound effects on the well-being of citizens in countries throughout the world. The “business as usual” frame of mind in dealing with this phenomenon is no longer feasible. Rather, there is a great need for a “sense of urgency” to empower and actively involve every individual to adapt and to mitigate the worsening of climate change. A great number of studies show that the leadership of the educational system in developed countries for more than 2 decades has been successful in promoting environmental sustainability. Some of these studies are reviewed and documented in this paper so that vulnerable countries may learn and benchmark from their experiences. Keywords - Education, sustainable development, climate change

Download Full-text

Mapping Evidence on Global Perceptions of Environmental Sustainability amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review Protocol

10.21203/rs.3.rs-148450/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

PETER ANSU-MENSAH ◽

Monica Ansu-Mensah ◽

Desmond Kuupiel

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

World Health ◽

Future Research ◽

Regulatory Bodies ◽

Review Protocol ◽

Government Websites ◽

Health Organization

Abstract Background: Identifying and addressing research gaps on environmental sustainability in this striving time of COVID-19, it is imperative to ensure proper waste management disposal, efficient use of energy as well as judicious use of transport in order to achieve the SDGs 2030.Aim: The proposed scoping review is aimed at mapping evidence on global perceptions of environmental sustainability amidst COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The proposed study will be guided by the enhanced version of Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework, and Levac et al. 2010 recommendations together with the 2015 Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. A comprehensive keywords search for relevant studies presenting evidence of environmental sustainability during COVID-19 pandemic will be conducted with the following databases: SCOPUS, Google Scholar, EBSCOhost, and PubMed. Literature from university repositories and international organization such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and government websites relevant to the proposed study will also be retrieved. The proposed review will use the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis: Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) to present the results of the study. For data extraction in a content thematic manner of analysis, NVivo version 11 software package will be used. A mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT) version 2018 will be employed to appraise the quality of all the included studies. Discussion: We are hopeful that the results of the proposed study will inform future research and unveil evidence-based information to report potential environmental sustainability issues that may arise in this new phase of COVID-19 pandemic. It also anticipated that the proposed study will enable policy and regulatory bodies to implement new strategies to achieve the SDGs inclusive of COVID-19 pandemic.

Download Full-text

Dietary Patterns and Weight Status of Primary School Children in Serbia

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.678346 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Predrag Bozic ◽

Visnja Djordjic ◽

Lidija Markovic ◽

Dragan Cvejic ◽

Nebojsa Trajkovic ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dietary Patterns ◽

Weight Status ◽

Vegetable Consumption ◽

Task Force ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Primary School Children ◽

World Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Organization

The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to examine dietary patterns and the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among Serbian children. Furthermore, the study analyzed the association between dietary patterns and weight status. A nationally representative sample of 6–9-year-old children (n = 3,067) was evaluated as part of the Fifth Round World Health Organization European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative. The children's height and weight were measured by trained field examiners, while their parents or guardians filled paper versions of the food frequency questionnaire to collect information related to the child's breakfast habits and food and beverage intake. According to the International Obesity Task Force cut-off points, the overall prevalence of overweight (including obesity) and underweight were 28.9 and 8.1%, respectively. The majority of parents reported that their children (84.5%) had breakfast every day, while only 39.5 and 37% of children had daily fruit and vegetable consumption, respectively. The children who do not eat breakfast every day are more likely to be obese (OR = 1.50), while a higher intake frequency of nutrient-poor beverages such as soft drinks increases the risk of being not only overweight (OR = 1.32) but also underweight (OR = 1.39). Regular monitoring and understanding of dietary patterns and weight status is crucial to inform, design, and implement strategies to reduce national and global diet and obesity-related diseases. Urgent actions need to be taken from public policymakers to stop and reverse the increasing trend of overweight (including obesity) among Serbian children.

Download Full-text

Evaluating Smartphone App Based Dietary Tracking in a Military Population: Validation Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.35314 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

John Poglodzinski ◽

Bethany Ann Deschamps ◽

Mary McCarthy ◽

Renee Cole ◽

Evelyn Elshaw ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dietary Assessment ◽

Daily Intake ◽

Nutritional Epidemiology ◽

Military Population ◽

Relative Validity ◽

Demographic Questionnaire ◽

Smartphone Technology ◽

Clinically Significant ◽

24 Hour Recall ◽

Epidemiology Studies

BACKGROUND Collecting dietary intake data is a key component for a majority of nutritional epidemiology studies. Smartphone technology advancements allow researchers to use health and nutrition apps as alternatives to currently available tools (food frequency questionnaires, 24-hour recalls, and food diaries). Service Members (SM) can greatly benefit from the always-available information and easily accessible nature of smartphones to track their intake. Clinicians working with military units can help provide these SM with the skills to evaluate their intake for performance benefits. Understanding the accuracy of these apps is important to determine their effectiveness for use in clinical and research settings. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the relative validity of self-reported intake with the HealthWatch 360 (HW 360) app compared to the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment (ASA24). METHODS Recruitment targeted Army and Air Force SM from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA and Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, TX who currently or previously failed to meet body composition standards. Participants (n=53) completed a demographic questionnaire, baseline anthropometric measurements, and recorded daily intake on the HW 360 app. They returned approximately two weeks later to complete a 24-hour recall using the ASA24. Agreement and relative validity were evaluated using Bland-Altman plots and two one-sided tests at a ± 10% equivalency range of ASA24 mean nutrient intake values between HW 360 and ASA24 data. Multilinear regressions analyzed relationships between participant demographics and relative validity. RESULTS HW 360 was not significantly equivalent to the ASA24. Large levels of underreporting were found in total energy (Mean Difference (Mdiff) = -503.3 kcal, 90% CI: -649.8 to -356.7 kcal), carbohydrates (Mdiff = -52.2 g, 90% CI: -70.4 to -34.1 g), protein (Mdiff = -20.4 g, 90% CI: -29.4 to -11.3 g), and fat (Mdiff = -24.6 g, 90% CI: -32.5 to -16.7 g). Bland-Altman plots failed to illustrate agreement. No significant correlations existed for demographic variables and relative validity. CONCLUSIONS Differences between all variables tested were above clinically significant values and limit the usage of this application in research and clinical settings. Further research is needed to determine the potential causes of underreporting and evaluate methods to minimize this effect. Understanding these effects allows the implementation of a tailored app for use with SM. It has the potential to be an invaluable asset for this population due the unpredictable nature of deployments and training exercises. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04959318; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04959318

Download Full-text

Association between Overweight and Diet Diversity Score: A Cross-Sectional Study Conducted among Tunisian Children

Children ◽

10.3390/children8070536 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 536

Author(s):

Darine Dogui ◽

Radhouene Doggui ◽

Jalila El Ati ◽

Myriam El Ati-Hellal

Keyword(s):

Dietary Assessment ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

World Health ◽

Food Groups ◽

Overweight Children ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Diet Diversity ◽

Dietary Recall ◽

Health Organization

Aim: This study explored the association between the diet diversity score (DDS) and overweight among Tunisian children. Methods: A representative sample of children living in Greater Tunis was selected based on a two-stage clustered sampling design. A total of 1200 children (3–9 years) were recruited. Dietary assessment was realized using a 24 h dietary recall. Anthropometric measurements were realized, and overweight was defined according to the World Health Organization standards. Logistic regression was used for the association between DDS with overweight. Results: A quarter of children were found to be overweight. Overweight prevalence was found to decrease with the increase of mother education level (p = 0.010) among children <6 years. Crude DDS score was higher among non-overweight children irrespective of the age class (p = 0.002). Tunisian children appeared to consume much more than six food groups, corresponding to a more than recommended intake of most nutrients. Intriguingly, DDS was positively associated with the occurrence of overweight children <6 years, adjusted odd ratio = 1.37, 95% CI (1.03–1.82). Conclusion: Overweight is a public health problem among Tunisian children. A high DDS signifies adequate nutrient intake. An increase of DDS was found to be a positive predictor of overweight only in pre-school children.

Download Full-text

Diffusion of scientific concepts on obesity in the global context: a historical review

Revista de Nutrição ◽

10.1590/1678-9865202134e200166 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 34 ◽

Author(s):

Francisco de Assis Guedes de VASCONCELOS

Keyword(s):

World Health Organization ◽

Task Force ◽

Historical Analysis ◽

Excess Weight ◽

Nutritional Epidemiology ◽

World Health ◽

Scientific Concepts ◽

The World ◽

Health Organization ◽

Year 2000

ABSTRACT This article aimed to carry out a historical analysis of the dissemination of the scientific concepts on obesity, overweight and excess weight in the field of nutritional epidemiology in the world. The methodological procedures comprised: (1) Systematic search in the PubMed® database using single keywords and without date filter; (2) Documentary analysis of normative instruments on the websites of the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Obesity Federation; and (3) Analysis of the scientific production of scientists participating in the obesity classification of the International Obesity Task Force. The historical analysis showed that, considering the volume of publications on obesity, it appears that in the 1940-1949 decade the problem of obesity emerged on the world scenario. From the number of publications issued in the last 20 years, which corresponds to 85% of the investigated period, we can deduct that scientists’ concern to investigate the subject as a phenomenon coincides with the World Health Organization declaration of obesity as a global epidemic issued in the year 2000. In accordance with normative procedures established by international organizations, there has been a hegemonic use of the concepts of obesity and overweight, in this order of priority, by scientists worldwide. The concept of excess weight has experienced a relative rise since the year 2000, but its use has been very restricted, expressing dissonance in face of the recommendations of international standardization organizations, a fact that suggests discussion and review of its use by the world scientific community.

Download Full-text

Relative Validity of a Short 15-Item Food Frequency Questionnaire Measuring Dietary Quality, by the Diet History Method

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13113754 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 3754

Author(s):

Elisabet Rothenberg ◽

Elisabeth Strandhagen ◽

Jessica Samuelsson ◽

Felicia Ahlner ◽

Therese Rydberg Sterner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dietary Patterns ◽

Dietary Assessment ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Dietary Quality ◽

Categorical Variables ◽

Food Frequency ◽

High Agreement ◽

Relative Validity ◽

Study Population ◽

Diet History

Food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) are commonly used dietary assessment tools. The aim was to assess the relative validity of a 15-item FFQ, designed for the screening of poor dietary patterns with a validated diet history (DH). The study population was derived from the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies. The DH registrations were harmonized in accordance with the FFQ frequencies. The agreement was assessed by Cohen’s kappa with corresponding confidence intervals (CI) for the frequency and categorical variables. Bland–Altman plots were used for the numeric variables. The study comprised data from 848 individuals (55.2% women). Overall, there was high agreement between the methods, with the exact and adjacent level of agreement over 80% for eight variables. The proportion attributed to the opposite frequency was fairly low for most of the frequency variables. Most of the kappa values were in fair or moderate agreement. The highest kappa values were calculated for the type of cooking fat (k = 0.68, CI = 0.63–0.72) and sandwich spread (k = 0.55, CI = 0.49–0.53), and the lowest for type of bread (0.13, CI = 0.07–0.20) and sweets (0.22 CI = 0.18–0.27). In conclusion, the FFQ showed overall good agreement compared with the DH. We, therefore, think it, with some improvements, could serve as a simple screening tool for poor dietary patterns.

Download Full-text