scholarly journals Do Older Women of Reproductive Age Have Better Diet Quality than Younger Women of Reproductive Age?

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 3830
Author(s):  
Nahal Habibi ◽  
Katherine M. Livingstone ◽  
Suzanne Edwards ◽  
Jessica A. Grieger

There is increasing recognition of the importance of nutrition for reproductive health, but little is known regarding the diet quality of younger vs. older reproductive aged women, and how their intakes relate to dietary recommendations. The purpose of the study was to examine the diets of younger (19–35 years old) compared to older (35–50 years old) reproductive aged women, and how they align with dietary recommendations. Women aged 19–50 years from the 2011–13 Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey were included (n = 2323). Dietary intakes were assessed by a single 24-h dietary recall and were compared to (i) Australian Dietary Guidelines; (ii) Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution for protein, carbohydrates, and fat; and (iii) Dietary Guideline Index (DGI). Regression analyses comparing younger and older women against recommendations were undertaken, with confounders determined a priori. There was no difference between older and younger women in meeting food group recommendations, with 26% of all women meeting recommendations for fruit, and meat and alternatives, and <20% meeting recommendations for vegetables and alternatives, grains, and dairy. Although there was no difference between older and younger women in total DGI score (mean (SE) 75.6 (1.7) vs. 74.5 (2.5), p > 0.05), older women had higher component scores in limiting saturated fat, consuming low-fat milk, and limiting adding salt during cooking. Continued health promotion for women of reproductive age should be a key priority to improve their own health and that of future generations.

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacklyn Jackson ◽  
Amanda Patterson ◽  
Lesley MacDonald-Wicks ◽  
Catherine Bondonno ◽  
Lauren Blekkenhorst ◽  
...  

Dietary nitrate is increasingly linked to a variety of beneficial health outcomes. Our purpose was to estimate dietary nitrate consumption and identify key dietary changes which have occurred over time within a representative sample of Australian women. Women from the 1946–1951 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health with complete food frequency questionnaire data for both 2001 and 2013 were included for analysis. Dietary nitrate intakes were calculated using key published nitrate databases. Diet quality scores including the Australian Recommended Food Score, the Mediterranean Diet Score and the Nutrient Rich Foods Index were calculated along with food group serves as per the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Wilcoxon matched pairs tests were used to test for change in dietary intakes and Spearman’s correlations were used to examine associations. In our sample of 8161 Australian women, dietary nitrate intakes were on average 65–70 mg/day, and we detected a significant increase in dietary nitrate consumption over time (+6.57 mg/day). Vegetables were the primary source of dietary nitrate (81–83%), in particular lettuce (26%), spinach (14–20%), beetroot (10–11%), and celery (7–8%) contributed primarily to vegetable nitrate intakes. Further, increased dietary nitrate intakes were associated with improved diet quality scores (r = 0.3, p < 0.0001). Although there is emerging evidence indicating that higher habitual dietary nitrate intakes are associated with reduced morbidity and mortality, future work in this area should consider how dietary nitrate within the context of overall diet quality can facilitate health to ensure consistent public health messages are conveyed.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2588
Author(s):  
Karim Khaled ◽  
Vanora Hundley ◽  
Fotini Tsofliou

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between stress and diet quality/patterns among women of reproductive age in UK. In total, 244 reproductive aged women participated in an online survey consisting of the European Prospective into Cancer and Nutrition food frequency questionnaire in addition to stress, depression, physical-activity, adiposity, and socioeconomic questions. An a-priori diet quality index was derived by assessing the adherence to Alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMD). A-posteriori dietary-patterns (DPs) were explored through factor analysis. Regression models were used to assess the predictors of the DPs. Participants mainly had medium (n = 113) aMD adherence. Higher stress levels were reported by participants with low aMD adherence. Participants with high aMD adherence were of normal BMI. Factor analysis revealed three DPs: fats and oils, sugars, snacks, alcoholic-beverages, red/processed meat, and cereals (DP-1), fish and seafood, eggs, milk and milk-products (DP-2), and fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds (DP-3). Regression models showed that DP-1 was positively associated with stress (p = 0.005) and negatively with age (p = 0.004) and smoking (p = 0.005). DP-2 was negatively associated with maternal educational-level (p = 0.01) while DP-3 was negatively associated with stress (p < 0.001), BMI (p = 0.001), and white ethnicity (p = 0.01). Stress was negatively associated with healthy diet quality/patterns among reproductive aged women.


2012 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer K. Fowler ◽  
Susan E. Evers ◽  
M. Karen Campbell

Purpose: Eating behaviours were assessed among pregnant women in a mid-sized Canadian city. Methods: As part of the Prenatal Health Project, we interviewed 2313 pregnant women in London, Ontario. Subjects also completed a food frequency questionnaire. Recruitment took place in ultrasound clinics at 10 to 22 weeks of gestation. The main outcome measures were number of daily servings for each food group, measured against the minimum number recommended by the 2007 Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide (CFG), the proportion of women consuming the recommended number of servings for each and all of the four food groups, and factors associated with adequate consumption. We also determined the number of servings of “other foods.” Analysis included descriptive statistics and logistic regression, all at p<0.05. Results: A total of 3.5% of women consumed the recommended number of servings for all four food groups; 15.3% did not consume the minimum number of servings of foods for any of the four food groups. Women for whom this was their first pregnancy were less likely to consume the recommended number of servings from all four food groups (odds ratio=0.41; confidence interval=0.23, 0.74). Conclusions: Very few pregnant women consumed food group servings consistent with the 2007 recommendations. Strategies to improve dietary behaviours must focus on the establishment of healthy eating behaviours among women of reproductive age.


2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-631
Author(s):  
Tatyana Ivanova ◽  
Nataliya Sychenkova ◽  
Vera Khorokhorina ◽  
Nikolay Ryabchenko ◽  
Sergey Ivanov ◽  
...  

The distribution of APOE 4 allele (rs 429358, C) was analyzed in healthy women (N=454) and patients with ovarian serous adenocarcinoma (N=114) in order to identify genetic predisposition to the disease. We determined the prognostic indicators of the E4 allele as a marker: odds ratio (OR) and AUC (Area Under Curve) - an area under the ROC curve. It was shown that APOE 4 allele was significantly associated with ovarian serous adenocarcinoma (p = 0,003; 0R=1,94; AUC=0,55). The Е4 genotypes frequency was significantly increased among patients (p = 0.02; 0R=1,8). Separate analysis of the two age subgroups (over 46 years and younger) found that the chance of developing ovarian serous adenocarcinoma was significantly increased for older women (p = 0,006; OR = 2,24, AUC = 0,76). Possible associations of APOE 4 with the ovarian serous adenocarcinoma in women of reproductive age deserve further studying.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2667
Author(s):  
Kevin B. Comerford ◽  
Yanni Papanikolaou ◽  
Julie Miller Jones ◽  
Judith Rodriguez ◽  
Joanne Slavin ◽  
...  

Carbohydrate-containing crops provide the bulk of dietary energy worldwide. In addition to their various carbohydrate forms (sugars, starches, fibers) and ratios, these foods may also contain varying amounts and combinations of proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, prebiotics, and anti-nutritional factors that may impact diet quality and health. Currently, there is no standardized or unified way to assess the quality of carbohydrate foods for the overall purpose of improving diet quality and health outcomes, creating an urgent need for the development of metrics and tools to better define and classify high-quality carbohydrate foods. The present report is based on a series of expert panel meetings and a scoping review of the literature focused on carbohydrate quality indicators and metrics produced over the last 10 years. The report outlines various approaches to assessing food quality, and proposes next steps and principles for developing improved metrics for assessing carbohydrate food quality. The expert panel concluded that a composite metric based on nutrient profiling methods featuring inputs such as carbohydrate–fiber–sugar ratios, micronutrients, and/or food group classification could provide useful and informative measures for guiding researchers, policymakers, industry, and consumers towards a better understanding of carbohydrate food quality and overall healthier diets. The identification of higher quality carbohydrate foods could improve evidence-based public health policies and programming—such as the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.


2000 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 361-367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise M. Brady ◽  
Christine H. Lindquist ◽  
Sara L. Herd ◽  
Michael I. Goran

Monitoring dietary intake patterns among children is important in order to explore and prevent the onset of adult health problems. The aim of the present study was to compare children's dietary intakes with national recommendations and to determine whether sex or ethnic differences were evident. This was done using a methodology that allows assessment of intake from the major components of the Food Guide Pyramid developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA: ). The sample studied included 110 African-American and Caucasian males and females (mean age 9·9 years, BMI 20·1 kg/m2) from Birmingham, AL, USA, who were participating in a study investigating the development of obesity. Dietary data were based on three 24 h recalls and food group intake was determined using the USDA Pyramid Servicing Database. The results indicated that a high percentage of subjects failed to meet the recommended number of servings from each of the food groups. For example, only 5 % and 9 % met fruit and dietary group recommendations respectively. Consumption of foods from the Pyramid ‘tip’ (including discretionary fat and added sugar) contributed almost 50 % of the diet. African-Americans were more likely to meet requirements for the meat group, with a higher proportion of Caucasians meeting dietary recommendations. Males were more likely to meet the vegetable group guidelines although females consumed more energy per day from discretionary fat. In conclusion, these results suggest that implementation of nutrition education programmes may be important for promoting healthy nutrition among American children.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241605
Author(s):  
Susan Ontiri ◽  
Vincent Were ◽  
Mark Kabue ◽  
Regien Biesma-Blanco ◽  
Jelle Stekelenburg

Objectives This study aimed to examine patterns and determinants of modern contraceptive discontinuation among women in Kenya. Methods Secondary analysis was conducted using national representative Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys of 2003, 2008/9, and 2014. These household cross-sectional surveys targeted women of reproductive age from 15 to 49 years who had experienced an episode of modern contraceptive use within five years preceding the surveys from 2003 (n = 2686), 2008/9 (n = 2992), and 2014 (5919). The contraceptive discontinuation rate was defined as the number of episodes discontinued divided by the total number of episodes. Weighted descriptive statistics, multivariable logistic regression analysis, and Cox proportional hazards analysis were used to examine the determinants of contraceptive discontinuation. Results The 12-month contraceptive discontinuation rate for all methods declined from 37.5% in 2003 and 36.7% in 2008/9 to 30.5% in 2014. Consistently across the three surveys, intrauterine devices had the lowest 12-month discontinuation rate (6.4% in 2014) followed by implants (8.0%, in 2014). In 2014, higher rates were seen for pills (44.9%) and male condoms (42.9%). The determinants of contraceptive discontinuation among women of reproductive age in the 2003 survey included users of short-term contraception methods, specifically for those who used male condoms (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.13–5.11) and pills (HR = 2.68; 95CI = 1.79–4.00); and younger women aged 15–19 year (HR = 2.07; 95% CI = 1.49–2.87) and 20–24 years (HR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.61–2.35). The trends in the most common reasons for discontinuation from 2003 to 2014 revealed an increase among those reporting side effects (p = 0.0002) and those wanting a more effective method (p<0.0001). A decrease was noted among those indicating method failure (p<0.0001) and husband disapproval (p<0.0001). Conclusions Family planning programs should focus on improving service quality to strengthen the continuation of contraceptive use among those in need. Women should be informed about potential side effects and reassured on health concerns, including being provided options for method switching. The health system should avail a wider range of contraceptive methods and ensure a constant supply of commodities for women to choose from. Short-term contraceptive method users and younger women may need greater support for continued use.


Reproduction ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 158 (6) ◽  
pp. 517-527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah E Simon ◽  
Zhenghui Liu ◽  
George R Bousfield ◽  
T Rajendra Kumar ◽  
Francesca E Duncan

Female reproductive aging is characterized by a rise in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels during peri-menopause. N-linked glycans are co-translationally attached to the Asn7 and Asn24 residues on the FSHβ subunit. Differences in the number of N-glycans on the FSHβ subunit result in distinct glycoforms: hypo-glycosylated (FSH21/18, glycans absent on either Asn24 or Asn7, respectively) or fully-glycosylated (FSH24, glycans present on both Asn7 and Asn24). The relative abundance of FSH glycoforms changes with advanced reproductive age, shifting from predominantly FSH21/18 in younger women to FSH24 in older women. Previous in vitro studies in granulosa cell lines and in vivo studies using Fshb-null mice showed these glycoforms elicit differential bioactivities. However, the direct effects of FSH glycoforms on the mouse ovarian follicle have not yet been determined. In this study, we isolated secondary follicles from pre-pubertal mice and treated them with 20- or 100 ng/mL purified recombinant FSH glycoforms for 1 h or 18–20 h. Analysis of phosphorylated PKA substrates showed that glycoforms were bioactive in follicles following 1-h treatment, although differential bioactivity was only observed with the 100 ng/mL dose. Treatment of follicles with 100 ng/mL of each glycoform also induced distinct expression patterns of FSH-responsive genes as assessed by qPCR, consistent with differential function. Our results, therefore, indicate that FSH glycoforms are bioactive in isolated murine follicles.


Author(s):  
Gargi Wable Grandner ◽  
Katherine Dickin ◽  
Ravi Kanbur ◽  
Purnima Menon ◽  
Kathleen M. Rasmussen ◽  
...  

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micaela Karlsen ◽  
Gail Rogers ◽  
Akari Miki ◽  
Alice Lichtenstein ◽  
Sara Folta ◽  
...  

Public interest in popular diets is increasing, in particular whole-food plant-based (WFPB) and vegan diets. Whether these diets, as theoretically implemented, meet current food-based and nutrient-based recommendations has not been evaluated in detail. Self-identified WFPB and vegan diet followers in the Adhering to Dietary Approaches for Personal Taste (ADAPT) Feasibility Survey reported their most frequently used sources of information on nutrition and cooking. Thirty representative days of meal plans were created for each diet. Weighted mean food group and nutrient levels were calculated using the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) and data were compared to DRIs and/or USDA Dietary Guidelines/MyPlate meal plan recommendations. The calculated HEI-2015 scores were 88 out of 100 for both WFPB and vegan meal plans. Because of similar nutrient composition, only WFPB results are presented. In comparison to MyPlate, WFPB meal plans provide more total vegetables (180%), green leafy vegetables (238%), legumes (460%), whole fruit (100%), whole grains (132%), and less refined grains (−74%). Fiber level exceeds the adequate intakes (AI) across all age groups. WFPB meal plans failed to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)s for vitamin B12 and D without supplementation, as well as the RDA for calcium for women aged 51–70. Individuals who adhere to WFBP meal plans would have higher overall dietary quality as defined by the HEI-2015 score as compared to typical US intakes with the exceptions of calcium for older women and vitamins B12 and D without supplementation. Future research should compare actual self-reported dietary intakes to theoretical targets.


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