Dietary Intakes of Traditional Foods for Dene/Métis in the Dehcho and Sahtú Regions of the Northwest Territories

A dietary transition away from traditional foods and toward a diet of the predominantly unhealthy market is a public health and sociocultural concern throughout Indigenous communities in Canada, including those in the sub-Arctic and remote regions of Dehcho and Sahtú of the Northwest Territories, Canada. The main aim of the present study is to describe dietary intakes for macronutrients and micronutrients in traditional and market food from the Mackenzie Valley study. We also show the trends of contributions and differences of dietary intakes over time from 1994 data collected and reported by the Centre for Indigenous People’s Nutrition and Environment (CINE) in 1996. Based on 24-h dietary recall data, the study uses descriptive statistics to describe the observed dietary intake of the Dene First Nations communities in the Dehcho and Sahtú regions of the NWT. Indigenous people in Canada, like the sub-Arctic regions of Dehcho and Sahtú of the NWT, continue to consume traditional foods, although as a small percentage of their total dietary intake. The observed dietary intake calls for action to ensure that traditional food remains a staple as it is critical for the wellbeing of Dene in the Dehcho and Sahtú regions and across the territory.

Cooking at Home, Fast Food, Meat Consumption, and Dietary Carbon Footprint among US Adults

Shifting consumer behavior towards more sustainable diets can benefit environmental sustainability and human health. Although more frequent home cooking is associated with a better diet quality and fast-food consumption with worse diet quality, the environmental impact of diets based on frequency of cooking or eating fast food is not well understood. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the frequency of cooking dinner at home or eating fast food is associated with dietary greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE). We linked 24-h dietary recall data from adult respondents in the 2007–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (N = 11,469) to a database of GHGE factors to obtain a measure of dietary GHGE (kgCO2-eq/2000 kcal) (the sum of emissions released in the production of food for an individual’s diet), adjusted by energy intake (kgCO2-eq/2000 kcal). We examined associations between frequency of cooking dinner (the only meal for which cooking frequency was measured), frequency of eating fast food, and dietary GHGE and protein sources (beef, pork, poultry, other meat, and fish and seafood (g/2000 kcal)) using generalized linearized regression models that controlled for age, sex, and other socio-economic characteristics. Greater cooking frequency was associated with higher dietary GHGE. In fully adjusted models, cooking 5–6 times/week was associated with an additional 0.058 kgCO2-eq/2000 kcal (SE 0.033) and cooking 7 times/week was associated with an additional 0.057 kgCO2-eq/2000 kcal (SE 0.027) when compared to cooking 0–2 times/week. Individuals in households who cooked dinner more frequently consumed significantly more meat, poultry, and fish (cooking 7 times/week: 148.7 g/2000 kcal vs. cooking 0–2 times/week: 135.4 g/2000 kcal, p-trend = 0.005), which could explain the association with a higher carbon footprint diet. There were few associations of note between fast-food frequency and GHGE. Policies and interventions that reduce consumption of meat and increase consumption of plants when both cooking meals at home and eating meals out are needed to shift toward diets that will be beneficial for both human health and the health of the planet.

Illustration of the Importance of Adjustment for within- and between-Person Variability in Dietary Intake Surveys for Assessment of Population Risk of Micronutrient Deficiency/Excess Using an Example Data Set

Nutrition intervention decisions should be evidence based. Single 24-h recalls are often used for measuring dietary intake in large dietary studies. However, this method does not consider the day-to-day variation in populations’ diets. We illustrate the importance of adjustment of single 24-h recall data to remove within-person variation using the National Cancer Institute method to calculate usual intake when estimating risk of deficiency/excess. We used an example data set comprising a single 24-h recall in a total sample of 1326 1–<10-year-old children, and two additional recalls in a sub-sample of 11%, for these purposes. Results show that risk of deficiency was materially overestimated by the single unadjusted 24-h recall for vitamins B12, A, D, C and E, while risk of excess was overestimated for vitamin A and zinc, when compared to risks derived from usual intake. Food sources rich in particular micronutrients seemed to result in overestimation of deficiency risk when intra-individual variance is not removed. Our example illustrates that the application of the NCI method in dietary surveys would contribute to the formulation of more appropriate conclusions on risk of deficiency/excess in populations to advise public health nutrition initiatives when compared to those derived from a single unadjusted 24-h recall.

NUTRITIONAL STATUS ASSESSMENT OF ORPHANAGE CHILDREN IN RAWALPINDI

Objective: To evaluate the health and nutritional status of the orphanage, to find frequency of nutritional deficiencies by physical examination findings and to assess their dietary intake and contrast it with individual recommended daily allowances. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Four orphanages of Rawalpindi, from Jan to May 2020. Methodology: Study was conducted at four orphanages of Rawalpindi on 276 children and adolescents. Children and adolescents in age group of 5-18 years and if they are resident of institution for more than 60 months were included in the study, while children who were extremely sick and mentally retarded were excluded from the study. Data was collected through questionnaire including demographic information, anthropometric assessment, nutritional deficiencies on physical examination and 24 hours food recall. Data was analyzed on SPSS 24. Results: Results showed that 34 (17%) children and adolescents were underweight, 99 (49.5%) stunted, 21 (10.5%) showed thinness and 9 (4.5%) were overweight. Most common nutrient deficiency was protein calorie malnutrition, Iron deficiency and vitamin A and B 12 deficiency. Study population was consuming less protein, Iron and fats in diet as compared to recommended daily allowances. Conclusion: Institutionalized children and adolescents are at risk of developing malnutrition due to financial constraints and ignorance of caregivers, which can lead to ill health of children. Programs are required to be undertaken for nutritional development of the orphanage children.

Emotional salience modulates the forward flow of memory

Conditional response probability (CRP) analyses applied to free recall data indicate that recall occurs for contiguous items with forward-directionality, thought to reflect the shared encoding context of nearby items. We hypothesized that a context disruption, produced by presenting infrequent oddballs, would modulate CRP curves, increasing the forward-flow of recall due to strong binding of items presented after these oddballs to the new encoding context. Seventy young, healthy male and female participants encoded word lists containing either emotional or perceptual oddballs at varying stimulus onset asynchronies (SOA) followed by free recall. Serial recall transitions from emotional, but not perceptual, oddballs were enhanced in the forward direction except at the shortest SOA (1s). The present results provide empirical evidence of CRP modulation selectively by emotional salience and suggest that recall patterns after presenting emotional and perceptual oddballs are mediated by different mechanisms.

Estimated Sweetness in US Diet Among Children and Adults Declined From 2001 to 2018: A Serial Cross-Sectional Surveillance Study Using NHANES 2001–2018

An agreed-upon measure of total dietary sweetness is lacking hindering assessments of population-level patterns and trends in dietary sweetness. This cross-sectional study used 24-h dietary recall data for 74,461 participants aged ≥ 2 y from nine cycles (2001–2018) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to evaluate trends in the sweetness of the diet in the United States (US). LCS-containing items were matched to a sugar-sweetened counterpart (e.g., diet cola–regular cola or sucralose sugar). The matched pair was used to estimate the sugar equivalents from LCS-sweetened foods or beverages to estimate dietary level sweetness, which was described as grams of approximate sugar equivalent (ASE) per day. Trends in ASE were estimated overall and by subgroup, and trends were further disaggregated by food or beverage category. Overall, LCS sources contributed about 10.5% of ASE. Total ASE declined from 152 g/d to 117 g/d from 2001–2002 to 2017–2018 (p-trend &lt; 0.001), with comparable declines in children and adults. Declines in total ASE were predominantly driven by beverages (−36.7% from 2001–2002 to 2017–2018) and tabletop sweeteners (−23.8%), but not food (−1.5%). Observed trends were robust to sensitivity analyses incorporating random, systematic, and sensory trial informed estimates of sweetness and also an analysis excluding possible under-reporters of dietary energy. This practical approach and underlying data may help researchers to apply the technique to other dietary studies to further these questions.

Shakespeare sonnet reading: An empirical study of emotional responses

The present study combines literary theory and cognitive psychology to empirically explore some cognitive and emotional facets of poetry reading, exemplified by the reading of three Shakespeare sonnets. Specifically, predictions generated combining quantitative textual analysis according to the Neurocognitive Poetics model with qualitative textual analysis based on the Foregrounding assessment Matrix of sonnets no. 27, 60 and 66 are empirically tested by analyzing 45 subjects’ ratings of the three sonnets. Reflecting the differences in foregrounding potential of the three sonnets found in the textual analysis, we expected to find different reader responses, accordingly. Our dependent variables are well-established categories of emotional evaluation (e.g. valence and arousal) and cognitive, affective and aesthetic aspects of readers’ responses (e.g. liking and understanding) as well as less common ones (e.g. wonder, delight and mental images). The statistical analyses suggest that the type of foregrounding is more important than the number of foregrounded elements. This finding motivated further qualitative exploration of reader responses to open questions regarding mental images and perceived feelings. Comparing the free recall data about the feelings perceived in the sonnets with the ratings data about Valence and Arousal indicated that only the former one reflects a clear distinction between all three sonnets, whereas the readers’ overall evaluations did not sustain this variety of feelings. Multi-method, interdisciplinary research of this kind contributes to improving our understanding of the potentially unique mechanisms involved in poetry reception, and to forming more precise hypotheses for future experimental studies using, for example, eye tracking.

Wireless phone use by young New Zealanders: Health and policy implications

<p>Over the last decade the use of cellphones has increased dramatically among the young adolescent population. In New Zealand, most children of this age also use a cordless phone. With the rapid proliferation in children‘s use of these devices, there has been increasing concern about whether children are more vulnerable than adults to possible adverse outcomes if such effects do result from wireless phone radiofrequency exposure. This is the first study of young New Zealanders‘ wireless phone habits, focusing particularly on the extent of use, and the relationship of that use with well-being. Two studies were undertaken: a census of schools with Year 7 and 8 classes in the Wellington Region of New Zealand to ascertain what rules were in place regarding cellphones at school, and a cross-sectional survey of students from the same region, using a representative sample of 373 students aged 10.3-13.7years. Both studies were conducted by the author independently from any research group. The primary research appears in Part II. Chapter 5 presents wireless phone user-habits. The large majority of young adolescents were already using cellphones and cordless phones regularly in 2009, although use was generally light or moderate. A small group (5%) was using both phone types extensively (≥ 30 minutes cordless daily plus ≥ 10 cellphone calls weekly); almost a quarter used a cordless phone ≥ 30 minutes daily, and 6% reported, on average, 1¼ hours or more use daily. This extent of use over 4 or more years has been associated in several major studies with an increased risk of glioma. Both the MoRPhEUS data and this study‘s data (Appendix 1 and Chapter 5) showed that use of the two phone types is positively correlated, increasing the comparative and actual radiofrequency exposure in heavy users. Cellphone use during school was compared with school expectations, discussed in chapter 6, showing there was a considerably greater level of illicit use than that of which principals were aware. This use was adjacent to the lower abdomen, and a brief review of relevant fertility literature suggested that cellphone use, or even carriage, in that position may impair sperm quality and duration of use like this appeared consistent with reduced fertility. A novel observation is explored in chapter 7. The mental process in recalling the extent of cellphone use was not linear. It parallels that found in many types of magnitude estimation, using a logarithmic mental number line. This carried implications for epidemiology methods that use recall data, particularly the need to record the geometric rather than arithmetic mean when a range of estimated use is provided. Not doing so put almost 5% of participants in an incorrect category when estimated use was split into tertiles. Recall estimation has a large variance. Chapter 8 presents a Bayesian method of reducing estimation bias in recall data. It should be applicable for use by studies that conform to the method‘s requirements. Chapter 9 presents the results of logistic regression analysis of the participants‘ reported well-being with respect to their wireless phone use. A dose-response relationship with frequent headaches confirmed findings elsewhere. Tinnitus and tiredness results suggested that responses were different depending upon phone type. This is the first study to explore and demonstrate different well-being responses according to cordless phone frequency or modulation. There was a strong association between being woken by the cellphone in the night and being tired at school. This research carries implications for young people‘s wireless phone use, including the advisability of limiting daily use to no more than 15 minutes daily. The relevance of researchers considering cellphone exposures, compared to that of cordless phones, is questioned. Further research on bio-sensitive frequencies, modulations and exposures is needed. An important recommendation is for the inclusion of education about wireless technology in schools and school communities and for child-health practitioners.</p>

Wireless phone use by young New Zealanders: Health and policy implications

<p>Over the last decade the use of cellphones has increased dramatically among the young adolescent population. In New Zealand, most children of this age also use a cordless phone. With the rapid proliferation in children‘s use of these devices, there has been increasing concern about whether children are more vulnerable than adults to possible adverse outcomes if such effects do result from wireless phone radiofrequency exposure. This is the first study of young New Zealanders‘ wireless phone habits, focusing particularly on the extent of use, and the relationship of that use with well-being. Two studies were undertaken: a census of schools with Year 7 and 8 classes in the Wellington Region of New Zealand to ascertain what rules were in place regarding cellphones at school, and a cross-sectional survey of students from the same region, using a representative sample of 373 students aged 10.3-13.7years. Both studies were conducted by the author independently from any research group. The primary research appears in Part II. Chapter 5 presents wireless phone user-habits. The large majority of young adolescents were already using cellphones and cordless phones regularly in 2009, although use was generally light or moderate. A small group (5%) was using both phone types extensively (≥ 30 minutes cordless daily plus ≥ 10 cellphone calls weekly); almost a quarter used a cordless phone ≥ 30 minutes daily, and 6% reported, on average, 1¼ hours or more use daily. This extent of use over 4 or more years has been associated in several major studies with an increased risk of glioma. Both the MoRPhEUS data and this study‘s data (Appendix 1 and Chapter 5) showed that use of the two phone types is positively correlated, increasing the comparative and actual radiofrequency exposure in heavy users. Cellphone use during school was compared with school expectations, discussed in chapter 6, showing there was a considerably greater level of illicit use than that of which principals were aware. This use was adjacent to the lower abdomen, and a brief review of relevant fertility literature suggested that cellphone use, or even carriage, in that position may impair sperm quality and duration of use like this appeared consistent with reduced fertility. A novel observation is explored in chapter 7. The mental process in recalling the extent of cellphone use was not linear. It parallels that found in many types of magnitude estimation, using a logarithmic mental number line. This carried implications for epidemiology methods that use recall data, particularly the need to record the geometric rather than arithmetic mean when a range of estimated use is provided. Not doing so put almost 5% of participants in an incorrect category when estimated use was split into tertiles. Recall estimation has a large variance. Chapter 8 presents a Bayesian method of reducing estimation bias in recall data. It should be applicable for use by studies that conform to the method‘s requirements. Chapter 9 presents the results of logistic regression analysis of the participants‘ reported well-being with respect to their wireless phone use. A dose-response relationship with frequent headaches confirmed findings elsewhere. Tinnitus and tiredness results suggested that responses were different depending upon phone type. This is the first study to explore and demonstrate different well-being responses according to cordless phone frequency or modulation. There was a strong association between being woken by the cellphone in the night and being tired at school. This research carries implications for young people‘s wireless phone use, including the advisability of limiting daily use to no more than 15 minutes daily. The relevance of researchers considering cellphone exposures, compared to that of cordless phones, is questioned. Further research on bio-sensitive frequencies, modulations and exposures is needed. An important recommendation is for the inclusion of education about wireless technology in schools and school communities and for child-health practitioners.</p>

Implementation challenges from a prospective, interventional biopsy-based study of Environmental Enteropathy in rural Pakistan

The Study of Environmental Enteropathy (EE) and Malnutrition in Pakistan (SEEM) is a community intervention trial designed to understand the pathophysiology of EE and its associated clinical phenotypes in children less than two years of age. Undernutrition is the underlying cause of three million deaths worldwide annually, accounting for 45% of all deaths among children under five years of age. Linear growth stunting affects a further 165 million, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In Pakistan, an estimated one in three children are underweight and nearly half are stunted. This manuscript summarizes the challenges faced by the field team and the solutions employed for achieving our research objectives at the rural Matiari field site. Our study design involved a longitudinal collection of field data and biological samples which required constant engagement of field staff with the participating families. Challenges faced in SEEM included: 1) quality assurance parameters of anthropometry data; 2) 24-hour food recall data collection; 3) clinical management of sick enrolled children; 4) obtaining informed consent for upper gastrointestinal (UGI)endoscopy (an invasive procedure); and 5) biological sample collection (blood, urine, stool) from enrolled children. We enrolled 350 malnourished children(Weight for Height Z (WHZ) score <-2) and 50 well-nourished children(WHZ score ≥ 0 and height-for-age Z (HAZ) score ≥ -1) with more than 95% success rate of collecting blood, urine and stool specimens. We collected 72% microbiome stool samples within 30 minutes of the child passing stool. We conducted a UGI biopsy in 63 children. Solutions to these challenges included good project governance, the establishment of credibility, and the development of a longitudinal bidirectional relationship embedded in trust and effective communication with the caretakers of the enrolled children. Continuous monitoring, regular training of staff, and effective teamwork were key factors that led to the successful execution of our study.