Cancer worry and its impact on self-reported depressive symptoms among adult males and females in the US: a nationwide sample study.

OBJECTIVE: With cancer the second deadliest disease in the world, worry about cancer can have mental health or psychiatric implications. This study examines the prevalence, differences, and influence of cancer worry (CW), its interaction effect with age, and other confounders on self-reported depressive symptoms (SRDS) among adult males and females in the US. METHODS: We utilized a nationally representative sample data of 2,950 individuals (males = 1,276; females = 1,674) from Cycle 4 of the Health Information National Trends Survey 5 (HINTS 5) 2020. Using frequencies, bivariate chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression, we examined the prevalence, difference, and association of CW with SRDS, adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of SRDS was found to be 32% among females and 23.5% among males. Among individuals with CW, females had a higher prevalence of SRDS compared to males (40.5% vs. 35.1%). However, there was a significant difference in the likelihood of experiencing SRDS between males and females with CW, with males having 84% increased risk compared to females. Across all age groups, the multivariate analysis of the relationship between CW and SRDS revealed that both males and females showed a significantly decreased likelihood of SRDS compared to those aged 18-34 years. However, males aged 35 years or older exhibited an even more pronounced decrease in likelihood compared to females in the same age group. Nonetheless, when examining the interaction of age and CW, we observed a significantly increased likelihood of SRDS across all age groups. Males, in particular, had a higher increased likelihood of SRDS compared to females across all ages, except for those aged 75 years and older. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the significant influence of CW on individuals' SRDS and the modifying effect of age, particularly among males. These results are important for a better understanding of the risk of CW on mental health, which can be a preventive strategy or control mechanism.

Food Choices and Hypertension Among Rural Thais: Evidence From a Discrete Choice Experiment.

Objective: The rural northern region of Thailand exhibits the highest rate of hypertension. This study explored hypertensive-related food choices between normotensive and hypertensive people residing in rural northern Thailand to determine which food attributes influence their choices. Methods: The study conducted a discrete choice experiment (DCE) survey among Thai adults residing in rural northern Thailand (n = 403) to estimate the relative importance of four food attributes, including food preparation, price, taste, and amount of salt. A mixed logit model was used to analyze the data from the DCE. Results: The first and second most important attributes in both hypertensive and normotensive groups were the amount of salt and food preparation at home, respectively, followed by price and taste. Specifically, the normotensive group was more attentive to the amount of salt in their food than their hypertensive counterparts. Conclusion: Intervention programs in rural communities may benefit from focusing their attention on embracing low-salt cultural foods and providing guidance on how to add flavor without additional salt or reduce high sodium seasonings without losing flavor when cooking.

Dietary Salt-Related Determinants of Hypertension in Rural Northern Thailand.

Hypertension and its connection to high salt consumption have been observed in the Thai population. This study mainly contributed to the literature to examine the dietary-salt-related determinants associated with the risk of hypertension in rural northern Thailand, which exhibited the highest prevalence of hypertension. A total of 376 adults residing in San Pa Tong District, Chiang Mai province, were face-to-face interviewed using a structured questionnaire assessing dietary-salt-related knowledge, attitudes, consumption, sources, and habits. The subject's blood pressure (BP) was measured twice before and after the interview. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥ 130 mmHg or a diastolic BP ≥ 80 mmHg. The dietary-salt-related knowledge, attitude, and habits toward salt reduction were positively correlated; however, knowledge and attitudes were not significantly correlated with consumption. Multivariate logistic regression results indicated subjects who frequently bought ready-to-eat food, ate out, or used bouillon cube/monosodium glutamate (MSG) during food preparation were likely to have hypertension (OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.36-3.69, p = 0.002). MSG was heavily consumed and used as a flavor enhancer in northern Thai cuisine; however, a few subjects realized it contains sodium due to no salty taste. The deficiency of specific dietary-salt-related knowledge illustrated the need for tailored educational intervention strategies.

Which snack factors and nutritional ingredients influence college students' snack choices? Evidence from discrete choice experiments.

Objective: The study examined which snack factors and nutritional ingredients influence college students' snack choices using a discrete choice experiment (DCE). Participants: In November 2016, a total of 1,624 undergraduate students participated in the study. Methods: Two DCEs were constructed using a unique approach of block fractional factorial designs. The first DCE examined four three-level snack factors: healthiness, taste, convenience, and price. The second DCE focused on six two-level nutritional ingredients: sugar, salt, calories, fat, all natural, and fiber. Results: Students preferred quick and cheap snacks, but higher prices on healthy snacks did not affect their decision significantly. Healthiness and sugar had the highest relative importance of snack factors and nutritional ingredients, respectively. High-sugar snacks were less favored if students considered themselves educated in nutrition. Conclusion: Thus, potential ways to improve the snack choices for college students are to offer healthier snacks on college campuses and to promote nutrition education.

The Association between Types of Soda Consumption and Overall Diet Quality: Evidence from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Daily soda consumption may lead to high energy intake and poor diet quality. Although diet sodas contain no calories, they lack healthful nutrients. The study examined different types of soda consumption [regular (sugar-sweetened) sodas, diet sodas, and non-sodas] associated with overall diet quality. METHODS: Cross sectional, 24-hour dietary recall data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2005-2012 were utilized for the study. Majority of the participants (n = 4,427) were female (57%), adults aged 19-55 years (51%), and non-Hispanic whites (67%). Nutritional Quality Index (NQI) was calculated as an indicator of diet quality. Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate the significant association between types of soda consumption and NQI stratified by body mass index. RESULTS: Regular soda drinkers had lower NQI than diet soda drinkers, but only for overweight (ß =-9.72; p=0.031) and obese (ß =-7.06; p<0.002) individuals. Non-soda drinkers had higher NQI compared to diet soda drinkers in normal weight (ß =12.38; p=0.006) and obese (ß =6.19; p<0.000) individuals. CONCLUSION: Nutrition intervention programs, therefore, should target overweight and obese soda drinkers, emphasizing reduction in soda consumption, which may improve nutrient density in their diets and subsequently impact long-term health outcomes.