Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet Is Associated with Lower Depressive Symptoms among U.S. Adults

Depression is a leading cause of disability, yet current prevention and treatment approaches have only had modest effects. It is important to better understand the role of dietary patterns on depressive symptoms, which may help prevent depression or complement current treatments. This study examined whether adherence to a Mediterranean diet (Med Diet), determined by the Alternate Med Diet score (aMED), was associated with depressive symptoms in a representative sample of U.S. adults. The aMED score (range 0–9) was calculated from a 24-h diet recall with gender-specific quartiles (Q) estimated. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to define depressive symptoms, which was dichotomized as no to mild (0–9) versus moderate to severe symptoms (10–27). Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between quartiles of aMED and depressive symptoms when controlling for sociodemographics, total calories, and the time of year of diet recall; 7.9% of the sample had moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Compared to individuals with the lowest aMED (Q1), individuals in Q3 and Q4 had 40% and 45% lower odds of moderate to severe depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.50, 0.74; OR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.36, 0.84, respectively). This study provides modest support of Med Diet’s role in supporting positive mental health.

Dietary Modifications during Pregnancy through Decades

The present study aimed to explore the modifications in diet during pregnancy over three generations in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. For the selection of the sample, the respondents were categorized in 3 age groups: 20 to 34 years; 35 to 55 years; and ≥ 56 years. Structured diet recall interviews were scheduled for the collection of data. The subjects were asked about their dietary habits during pregnancy and food items that they included and excluded during that period. Most food items mentioned included were milk, fruits, and nutritional supplements. The exclusion of fruits like banana and papaya, of rice, and of leafy green vegetables (LGVs) was mainly observed. Among the age group of ≥ 56 years, the respondents with no changes in their diet during pregnancy were more from rural areas (92%) than from urban areas (62.26%), while in the age group of 20 to 34 years, 25% of the respondents with no change in their diet lived in rural areas, and 8.06% lived in urban areas. There has been an increase in the population with dietary modifications through generations; however, the overall changes are still not satisfying. The present study shows that there is a high need for nutritional education during pregnancy, especially in rural areas.

Evaluation of telehealth based nutrition counselling to improve dietary compliance and nutritional status of cancer patients.

e13619 Background: According to published literature, regardless of the cancer type, the overall prevalence of malnutrition in cancer is about 40% (range 30%-70%). Malnutrition is known to adversely affect the treatment compliance, quality of life and survival outcomes for cancer patients. Onco.com provides telehealth based nutrition care support (NCS) as a part of cancer care management program. We sought to evaluate impact of telehealth based nutrition counselling on diet compliance and overall nutritional status of patients. Methods: NCS includes virtual nutrition screening, nutrition diagnosis and nutrition intervention. Virtual nutrition screening was done using modified patient generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) tool developed by Ottery. An initial nutrition screening was initially performed for 165 patients. After nutrition screening, patients were divided as malnourished (category 1- 47%), nutritionally at risk (category 2- 34%) and well nourished (category 3- 19%). Patients in category 1 & 2 were analysed for the purpose of study. Diet counselling and customized diet plans were provided to the patients between the age group of 12 to 83 years for a period of 3 months from October to December 2020. On follow up, 24 hour diet recall method and food frequency method were used to assess the compliance to the diet plan. One day prior 24 hour diet recall and food frequency method for two weeks was used to analyse the adherence to the plan. If the patient consumed ≥75% of the recommended diet for a minimum of 5 days in a week, he/she was considered a ‘compliant’, while those who consumed < 75% of the recommended diet were considered to be ‘non-compliant’. Data on body weight and performance status (PS) was documented during follow up to track changes. Results: Of 134 study participants, 35.1% were in the early (I & II) stage, 38.7 % were in the locally advanced (III) stage, 21.2 % were in the metastatic stage, and 4.8 % were in the recurrent stage of disease. After 3 months of initiation of the nutrition counselling, 40% of the patients had gained weight, whereas 38% could maintain the body weight and 22 % had lost weight. Change in physical activity, appetite, management of side effects after diet plan initiation were also assessed during the reassessment calls. Overall, 67% patients showed improvement in diet compliance across all stages of disease. Majority of dietary non-compliance was noted in patients with head and neck, upper GI cancers or those with poor PS. Conclusions: Telehealth based nutritional counselling is an effective tool to help cancer patients achieve better diet compliance and nutrition outcomes across all stages of disease. Dietary non-compliance in head and neck cancers and upper gastrointestinal cancers or poos PS could correlate with difficulty in oral intake. Getting accurate information could be one of the challenges in virtual mode of counselling.

Validation of a life-logging wearable camera method and the 24-h diet recall method for assessing maternal and child dietary diversity

Accurate and timely data are essential for identifying populations at risk for undernutrition due to poor-quality diets, for implementing appropriate interventions and for evaluating change. Life-logging wearable cameras (LLWC) have been used to prospectively capture food/beverage consumed by adults in high-income countries. This study aimed to evaluate the concurrent criterion validity, for assessing maternal and child dietary diversity scores (DDS), of a LLWC-based image-assisted recall (IAR) and 24-h recall (24HR). Direct observation was the criterion method. Food/beverage consumption of rural Eastern Ugandan mothers and their 12–23-month-old child (n 211) was assessed, for the same day for each method, and the IAR and 24HR DDS were compared with the weighed food record DDS using the Bland–Altman limits of agreement (LOA) method of analysis and Cohen’s κ. The relative bias was low for the 24HR (–0·1801 for mothers; –0·1358 for children) and the IAR (0·1227 for mothers; 0·1104 for children), but the LOA were wide (–1·6615 to 1·3012 and –1·6883 to 1·4167 for mothers and children via 24HR, respectively; –2·1322 to 1·8868 and –1·7130 to 1·4921 for mothers and children via IAR, respectively). Cohen’s κ, for DDS via 24HR and IAR, was 0·68 and 0·59, respectively, for mothers, and 0·60 and 0·59, respectively, for children. Both the 24HR and IAR provide an accurate estimate of median dietary diversity, for mothers and their young child, but non-differential measurement error would attenuate associations between DDS and outcomes, thereby under-estimating the true associations between DDS – where estimated via 24HR or IAR – and outcomes measured.

Spot urine and 24-h diet recall estimates of dietary sodium intake from the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey: a comparison

© 2018, Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. Background: We aimed to test the difference between estimates of dietary sodium intake using 24-h diet recall and spot urine collection in a large sample of New Zealand adults. Methods: We analysed spot urine results, 24-h diet recall, dietary habits questionnaire and anthropometry from a representative sample of 3312 adults aged 15 years and older who participated in the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey. Estimates of adult population sodium intake were derived from 24-h diet recall and spot urine sodium using a formula derived from analysis of INTERSALT data. Correlations, limits of agreement and mean difference were calculated for the total sample, and for population subgroups. Results: Estimated total population 24-h urinary sodium excretion (mean (95% CI)) from spot urine samples was 3035 mg (2990, 3079); 3612 mg (3549, 3674) for men and 2507 mg (2466, 2548) for women. Estimated mean usual daily sodium intake from 24-h diet recall data (excluding salt added at the table) was 2564 mg (2519, 2608); 2849 mg (2779, 2920) for men and 2304 mg (2258, 2350) for women. Correlations between estimates were poor, especially for men, and limits of agreement using Bland–Altman mean difference analysis were wide. Conclusions: There is a poor agreement between estimates of individual sodium intake from spot urine collection and those from 24-hour diet recall. Although, both 24-hour dietary recall and estimated urinary excretion based on spot urine indicate mean population sodium intake is greater than 2 g, significant differences in mean intake by method deserve further investigation in relation to the gold standard, 24-hour urinary sodium excretion.

Spot urine and 24-h diet recall estimates of dietary sodium intake from the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey: a comparison

© 2018, Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. Background: We aimed to test the difference between estimates of dietary sodium intake using 24-h diet recall and spot urine collection in a large sample of New Zealand adults. Methods: We analysed spot urine results, 24-h diet recall, dietary habits questionnaire and anthropometry from a representative sample of 3312 adults aged 15 years and older who participated in the 2008/09 New Zealand Adult Nutrition Survey. Estimates of adult population sodium intake were derived from 24-h diet recall and spot urine sodium using a formula derived from analysis of INTERSALT data. Correlations, limits of agreement and mean difference were calculated for the total sample, and for population subgroups. Results: Estimated total population 24-h urinary sodium excretion (mean (95% CI)) from spot urine samples was 3035 mg (2990, 3079); 3612 mg (3549, 3674) for men and 2507 mg (2466, 2548) for women. Estimated mean usual daily sodium intake from 24-h diet recall data (excluding salt added at the table) was 2564 mg (2519, 2608); 2849 mg (2779, 2920) for men and 2304 mg (2258, 2350) for women. Correlations between estimates were poor, especially for men, and limits of agreement using Bland–Altman mean difference analysis were wide. Conclusions: There is a poor agreement between estimates of individual sodium intake from spot urine collection and those from 24-hour diet recall. Although, both 24-hour dietary recall and estimated urinary excretion based on spot urine indicate mean population sodium intake is greater than 2 g, significant differences in mean intake by method deserve further investigation in relation to the gold standard, 24-hour urinary sodium excretion.

Nutrient Adequacy Is Low among Both Self-Declared Lacto-Vegetarian and Non-Vegetarian Pregnant Women in Uttar Pradesh

Poor dietary intake during pregnancy remains a significant public health concern, affecting the health of the mother and fetus. This study examines the adequacy of energy, macronutrient, and micronutrient intakes among self-declared lacto-vegetarian and non-vegetarian pregnant women. We analyzed dietary data from 627 pregnant women in Uttar Pradesh, India, using a multiple-pass 24 h diet recall. Compared to non-vegetarians, lacto-vegetarians (~46%) were less likely to report excessive carbohydrate (78% vs. 63%) and inadequate fat intakes (70% vs. 52%). In unadjusted analyses, lacto-vegetarians had a slightly higher mean PA for micronutrients (20% vs. 17%), but these differences were no longer significant after controlling for caste, education, and other demographic characteristics. In both groups, the median intake of 9 out of 11 micronutrients was below the Estimated Average Requirement. In conclusion, the energy and micronutrient intakes were inadequate, and the macronutrient intakes were imbalanced, regardless of stated dietary preferences. Since diets are poor across the board, a range of policies and interventions that address the household food environment, nutrition counseling, behavior change, and supplementation are needed in order to achieve adequate nutrient intake for pregnant women in this population.

THE STUDY OF LYCOPENE CONTENT IN THE DIET BY VARIOUS ASSESSMENT METHODS

Introduction. Lycopene is a non-vitamin carotenoid possessing antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, immunomodulatory, cardioprotective, antiatherogenic, radio-and photoprotective properties. Lycopene not being synthesized in humans, it intakes from food sources, mainly tomatoes and tomato-containing products. The aim of this study is to assess the level of intake of lycopene and its main food sources in the diet of young people and compare the effectiveness of the 24-hours diet recall and food-frequency questionnaire method. Material and methods. The specialized questionnaires contained the main and additional food sources of lycopene. The survey included 106 students. There were formed 6 consumption groups according to the levels of lycopene intake. Results. According to the 24-hour diet recall and food-frequency questionnaires the largest share in the sample belongs to groups with high levels of lycopene intake. Tomatoes and ketchup are priority sources in these groups. The food-frequency questionnaire method allowed estimating the food sources present more often than others in the diet of the respondents. These included raw tomatoes, ketchup, and tomato-containing fast food products (with different frequencies for individual types of products). There were no additional sources of lycopene in the diet of the majority of respondents. Conclusions. The results obtained using these methods do not contradict each other. The complex using of the methods allows obtaining data on the levels of lycopene intake and its food sources present in the diet. The levels of lycopene intake and its priority sources were quantified using the 24-hour recall. The data of the food-frequency questionnaire method determine all sources of lycopene present in the diet.

Dietary Intake and Sources of Potassium in a Cross-Sectional Study of Australian Adults

A diet rich in potassium is important to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This study assessed potassium intake; food sources of potassium (including NOVA level of processing, purchase origin of these foods); and sodium-to-potassium ratio (Na:K) in a cross-section of Australian adults. Data collection included 24-h urines (n = 338) and a 24-h diet recall (subsample n = 142). The mean (SD) age of participants was 41.2 (13.9) years and 56% were females. Mean potassium (95%CI) 24-h urinary excretion was 76.8 (73.0–80.5) mmol/day compared to 92.9 (86.6–99.1) by 24-h diet recall. Na:K was 1.9 (1.8–2.0) from the urine excretion and 1.4 (1.2–1.7) from diet recall. Foods contributing most to potassium were potatoes (8%), dairy milk (6%), dishes where cereal is the main ingredient (6%) and coffee/coffee substitutes (5%). Over half of potassium (56%) came from minimally processed foods, with 22% from processed and 22% from ultraprocessed foods. Almost two-thirds of potassium consumed was from foods purchased from food stores (58%), then food service sector (15%), and fresh food markets (13%). Overall, potassium levels were lower than recommended to reduce chronic disease risk. Multifaceted efforts are required for population-wide intervention—aimed at increasing fruit, vegetable, and other key sources of potassium intake; reducing consumption of processed foods; and working in supermarket/food service sector settings to improve the healthiness of foods available.