Solar drying of mangoes: preservation of an important source of vitamin A in French-speaking West Africa.

Vitamin A deficiency, which is especially widespread among children younger than age 5 years, is a major barrier to reducing child mortality rates in French-speaking West Africa. A large amount of an indigenous plant source of provitamin A carotenoids are lost to postharvest waste. For example, the postharvest loss of mangoes in the region exceeds an annual total of 100,000 metric tons. In our study, 3.75 metric tons of fresh mangoes were dried using a solar dryer to a final moisture content of 10% to 12%, yielding a total of 360 kg dried mango. The product analysis revealed 4,000+/-500 microg beta carotene/100 g and 3,680+/-150 microg beta carotene/100 g after 2 and 6 months of storage, respectively. Thus, one greenhouse solar dryer is capable of reducing postharvest mango waste by 3.75 tons providing up to 1.15 million retinol activity equivalents of dietary vitamin A. The use of this technology that requires solar energy and manpower has the potential of increasing dietary vitamin A supply by up to 27,000-fold, compared to the currently available vitamin A in the region. Moreover, mango is a fruit that is well-liked by the population in this geographic area increasing the likelihood of its ready acceptance. Reducing postharvest loss of mangoes by using greenhouse model solar dryers is a promising strategy to help combat vitamin A deficiency in French-speaking West Africa.

Modifying soul food for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet (DASH) plan: implications for metabolic syndrome (DASH of Soul).

This article presents results of a community-based participatory study (DASH of Soul) designed to produce soul food that meets the nutrient criteria of the DASH diet plan. DASH of Soul was tested during a 10-month period with two sub-groups of low-income African American women: (1) a focus group cooking club recruited from among "early adopters" of a previous intervention; and (2) a broader peer group dinner club recruited through a health center serving the neighborhood of the focus group. Methods for the cooking club included 10 filmed cooking labs to: (a) modify traditional soul food (MSF) to reduce food energy, total fat, saturated fat, sugar, and sodium; (b) evaluate and improve upon sensory acceptability; (c) integrate acceptable MSF into the DASH diet plan (MS-DASH); (d) produce VHS- and DVD-formatted MS-DASH cooking shows. Methods for the dinner club included monthly participation in weekly promotional dinner meetings that featured the cooking show and a different DASH food group each month for 8 months. Based on computer software analysis, the nutrient composition of a sample MS-DASH menu developed by the cooking club was consistent with nutrient levels for the DASH diet plan. The authors concluded from the focus group interviews and intercept surveys that, with continued motivation, the potential is good for the study population to make MS-DASH a lifestyle choice, reducing their risks for diet-related diseases that cluster to comprise metabolic syndrome.

Impact of a low-intensity pedagogical model for integrating MedlinePlus exercises into middle school nutrition lessons.

OBJECTIVE: The research developed and pilot-tested MedlinePlus exercises in a diet-related chronic disease prevention (DCDP) middle school lesson unit called "Live." METHODS: MedlinePlus exercises were jointly developed by two middle school family and consumer sciences (FCS) teachers and integrated into the "Live" DCDP lesson unit. FCS classes (n = 4) who had participated in a prior "Live" study were chosen to pilot-test the MedlinePlus-supplemented exercises. Evaluation measures included student satisfaction (assessed using an 8-item pre- and posttest questionnaire), knowledge gained, and attitudinal changes (assessed with an abridged version of a previously developed "Live" questionnaire). Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. RESULTS: Of 62 total study participants, 56 (92.3%) said that they were either "somewhat" or "clearly": (a) more likely to use MedlinePlus as a future source for answering questions about their personal health and (b) more knowledgeable about how eating habits can help prevent disease. Selected parameters were improved for nutrition knowledge (P < 0.01) and attitudes (P < 0.01) related to healthy eating. CONCLUSIONS: MedlinePlus has good potential for efficiently communicating trustworthy diet-related disease-prevention behaviors to adolescents in an existing classroom curriculum.

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) intervention reduces blood pressure among hypertensive African American patients in a neighborhood health care center.

The purpose of this study was to pilot-test DASH-Dinner with Your Nutritionist, a university-neighborhood health care center intervention to promote the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. Study participants were low-income African American adults (N = 82) with poorly controlled blood pressure. Six groups, each consisting of 12 to 15 participants taking antihypertensive medications, met for 1 to 2 hours per week for 8 weeks. The intervention followed constructs of Social Cognitive Theory and featured dinners based on the DASH diet plan. Blood pressure was significantly lowered (P < .05) among participants who missed no more than 2 of 8 sessions. Extension of the DASH-Dinner model could improve blood pressure control among low-income hypertensive African Americans and reduce health disparities.

A review of web-assisted interventions for diabetes management: maximizing the potential for improving health outcomes.

Current endeavors in diabetes care focus on helping patients and providers deal successfully with the complexities of the disease by improving the system of care, expanding the reach of interventions, and empowering patients to engage in self-care behaviors. Internet technologies that combine the broad reach of mass media with the interactive capabilities of interpersonal media provide a wide range of advantages over standard modes of delivery. The technical affordances of Web delivery enable individualization or tailoring, appropriately timed reinforcement of educational messages, social support, improved feedback, and increased engagement. In turn, these have been significantly correlated with improved health outcomes.This article is a narrative review of Web-based interventions for managing type 2 diabetes published from 2000 to 2007 that utilize Web sites, Web portals, electronic medical records, videoconference, interactive voice response, and short messaging systems. The most effective systems link medical management and self-management. Patient satisfaction is highest when the Web-based system gives them the ability to track blood glucose, receive electronic reminders, schedule physician visits, email their health care team, and interact with other diabetic patients. However, comprehensive medical and self-management programs have not been implemented widely outside of systems funded by government agencies. The cost of developing and maintaining comprehensive systems continues to be a challenge and is seldom measured in efficacy studies. Lack of reimbursement for Web-based treatments is also a major barrier to implementation. These barriers must be overcome for widespread adoption and realization of subsequent cost savings.