Building nutritionally meaningful classification for grocery product groups: the LoCard Food Classification process.

Analysing customer loyalty card data is a novel method for assessing nutritional quality and changes in a population's food consumption. However, prior to its use, the thousands of grocery products available in stores must be reclassified from the retailer's original hierarchical structure into a structure that is suitable for the use of nutrition and health research. We created LoCard Food Classification (LCFC) and examined how it reflects the nutritional quality of the grocery product groups. Nutritional quality was considered the main criterion guiding the reclassification of the 3574 grocery product groups. Information on the main ingredient of the product group, purpose of use and carbon footprint was also used at the more granular levels of LCFC. The main challenge in the reclassification was a lack of detailed information on the type of products included in each group, and some of the groups included products that have opposite health effects. The final LCFC has four hierarchical levels, and it is openly available online. After reclassification, the product groups were linked with the Finnish food composition database, and the nutrient profile was assessed by calculating the Nutrient-Rich Food Index (NRFI) for each product group. sd in NRFI decreased from 0·21 of the least granular level to 0·08 of the most granular level of LCFC indicating that the most granular level of LCFC has more homogeneous nutritional quality. Studies that apply LCFC to examine loyalty card data with health and environmental outcomes are needed to further demonstrate its validity.

Multiple socioeconomic circumstances and trajectories of fruit and vegetable consumption: the Helsinki Health Study.

AIMS: Fruit and vegetable consumption is essential in disease prevention. Socioeconomic differences in consumption have been observed but evidence from longitudinal studies incorporating multiple socioeconomic indicators is lacking. We examined long-term fruit and vegetable consumption trajectories and multiple socioeconomic circumstances as their determinants. METHODS: We used survey data from the Helsinki Health Study (phase 1 in 2000-2002, N=8960, response rate 67%; phases 2-4 in 2007, 2012 and 2017) among initially 40- to 60-year-old employees of City of Helsinki, Finland. Fruit and vegetable consumption was measured by a food frequency questionnaire and consumption times per month were calculated. Childhood (parental education, economic difficulties), conventional (own education, occupational class, household income) and material (housing tenure, wealth, current economic difficulties) socioeconomic circumstances were included. We used group-based trajectory modelling for identifying fruit and vegetable consumption trajectories and multinomial logistic regression for examining associations between socioeconomic circumstances and the trajectories. RESULTS: Four fruit and vegetable consumption trajectories were identified: increasing higher (12%), decreasing higher (10%), stable moderate (43%) and stable low (35% of participants). Childhood, conventional and material socioeconomic circumstances were all associated with the trajectories: belonging to a lower socioeconomic group was associated with belonging to the stable low and moderate trajectories. In multivariate models, the strongest associations were found for occupational class and household wealth. CONCLUSIONS: Disadvantageous childhood and adulthood socioeconomic circumstances were associated with lower long-term fruit and vegetable consumption. Socioeconomic circumstances should be considered in attempts to promote fruit and vegetable consumption, and people with disadvantageous circumstances need to be targeted in future interventions.

Applying Mendelian randomization to appraise causality in relationships between nutrition and cancer.

Dietary factors are assumed to play an important role in cancer risk, apparent in consensus recommendations for cancer prevention that promote nutritional changes. However, the evidence in this field has been generated predominantly through observational studies, which may result in biased effect estimates because of confounding, exposure misclassification, and reverse causality. With major geographical differences and rapid changes in cancer incidence over time, it is crucial to establish which of the observational associations reflect causality and to identify novel risk factors as these may be modified to prevent the onset of cancer and reduce its progression. Mendelian randomization (MR) uses the special properties of germline genetic variation to strengthen causal inference regarding potentially modifiable exposures and disease risk. MR can be implemented through instrumental variable (IV) analysis and, when robustly performed, is generally less prone to confounding, reverse causation and measurement error than conventional observational methods and has different sources of bias (discussed in detail below). It is increasingly used to facilitate causal inference in epidemiology and provides an opportunity to explore the effects of nutritional exposures on cancer incidence and progression in a cost-effective and timely manner. Here, we introduce the concept of MR and discuss its current application in understanding the impact of nutritional factors (e.g., any measure of diet and nutritional intake, circulating biomarkers, patterns, preference or behaviour) on cancer aetiology and, thus, opportunities for MR to contribute to the development of nutritional recommendations and policies for cancer prevention. We provide applied examples of MR studies examining the role of nutritional factors in cancer to illustrate how this method can be used to help prioritise or deprioritise the evaluation of specific nutritional factors as intervention targets in randomised controlled trials. We describe possible biases when using MR, and methodological developments aimed at investigating and potentially overcoming these biases when present. Lastly, we consider the use of MR in identifying causally relevant nutritional risk factors for various cancers in different regions across the world, given notable geographical differences in some cancers. We also discuss how MR results could be translated into further research and policy. We conclude that findings from MR studies, which corroborate those from other well-conducted studies with different and orthogonal biases, are poised to substantially improve our understanding of nutritional influences on cancer. For such corroboration, there is a requirement for an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to investigate risk factors for cancer incidence and progression.

Association between added sugar intake and overall diet quality in the Finnish adult population.

Added sugar intake has been associated with several health issues, but few studies have examined its association with overall diet quality. We aimed at examining the association between added sugar intake and overall diet quality in Finnish adults. Associations between added sugar intake and sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors, and BMI were also explored. Our data comprised 5094 adults residing in Finland who participated in the National FinHealth 2017 Study. Dietary intake was assessed by a validated FFQ. Food consumption and nutrient intakes were calculated using the Finnish national food composition database. Added sugar intake was estimated based on food categorisation and identifying naturally occurring sugar sources. Overall diet quality was assessed by the modified Baltic Sea Diet Score. The average added sugar intake was 7·6 E % in women and 8·3 E % in men in this study population. Added sugar intake was inversely associated with education (P = 0·03 women; P = 0·001 men), physical activity (P < 0·0001), and BMI in men (P = 0·003), and directly with smoking (P = 0·002 women; P < 0·0001 men). Added sugar intake was inversely associated with overall diet quality in both sexes (P < 0·0001). No interactions were found except for men's physical activity subgroups, the inverse association being stronger among active men than moderately active or inactive men (Pfor interaction = 0·005). Our findings suggest that high added sugar intake is associated with several unhealthy dietary and lifestyle habits, including poor-quality diets, smoking and leisure-time inactivity in Finnish adults. Efforts to improve diet quality should consider added sugar intake equally in the whole population.

The contribution of physical working conditions to sickness absence of varying length among employees with and without common mental disorders.

Aims: The aim was to examine whether the contribution of physical work exposures to the risk of sickness absence (SA) is different between those with and without common mental disorders (CMD). Methods: We used questionnaire data on four work exposures and CMD from 6159 participants of the Helsinki Health Study cohort with 12,458 observations from three surveys (2000-2002, 2007 and 2012). We formed combination exposures for the work exposures (hazardous exposures, physical workload, computer and shift work) with CMD. Associations with SA of different length were examined with negative binomial regression models. Results: We observed stronger associations for CMD with SA than for the individual work exposures. The strength of the associations for hazardous exposures and physical workload increased with length of SA, especially when the participant also had CMD. The strongest associations for the combined exposures were observed for SA ⩾15 days, the rate ratios being 2.63 (95% CI 2.27-3.05) among those with hazardous exposure and CMD, and 3.37 (95% CI 2.93-3.88) among those with heavy physical workload and CMD. Conclusions: Employees with hazardous exposures or physical workload combined with CMD were at the highest risk of SA compared with those without these exposures or with only one exposure.

Changes in fruit, vegetable and fish consumption after statutory retirement: a prospective cohort study.

Retirement is a major life transition affecting health and health behaviour, but evidence on how this transition contributes to changes in healthy food habits is scarce. We examined whether the consumption of fruit and vegetables as well as fish changes after transition into statutory retirement. The data were derived from the prospective Helsinki Health Study. At phase 1 in 2000-2002, all participants were 40- to 60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland (n 8960, response rate 67 %). Follow-up surveys were conducted in 2007, 2012 and 2017 (response rates 79-83 %). Using the four phases, we formed three nested cohorts in which the participants either continued working or moved to statutory retirement. The final analytical sample consisted of 6887 participants (14 357 observations). Frequency of fruit, vegetable and fish consumption was calculated from a twenty-two-item FFQ. Analyses of repeated measures of food consumption before and after retirement transition were conducted with a negative binomial mixed model, adjusting for age, marital status, limiting long-standing illness and household income. During the follow-up, altogether 3526 participants retired. Transition to retirement was associated with a decrease in vegetable consumption among women and, contrarily, with an increase in fruit consumption among men (P < 0·05 for interaction between time and employment status). Fish consumption did not differ by the change in employment status. Statutory retirement can have mixed effects on healthy food habits, and these can differ between food groups and sex. Healthy food habits should be promoted among employees transitioning to retirement.

Physical working conditions and subsequent disability retirement due to any cause, mental disorders and musculoskeletal diseases: does the risk vary by common mental disorders?

PURPOSE: Physical work exposures and common mental disorders (CMD) have been linked to increased risk of work disability, but their joint associations with disability retirement due to any cause, mental disorders or musculoskeletal diseases have not been examined. METHODS: The data for exposures and covariates were from the Finnish Helsinki Health Study occupational cohort surveys in 2000-2002, 2007 and 2012. We used 12,458 observations from 6159 employees, who were 40-60 years old at baseline. CMD were measured by the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12, cut-off point 3+). Four self-reported work exposures (hazardous exposures, physical workload, computer and shift work) were combined with CMD and categorized as "neither", "work exposure only", "CMD only", and "both". Associations with register-based disability retirement were assessed with Cox proportional hazards models for sample survey data adjusting for confounders over 5-year follow-up. Additionally, synergy indices were calculated for the combined effects. RESULTS: Those reporting CMD and high physical workload had a greater risk of disability retirement due to any cause (HR 4.26, 95% CI 3.60-5.03), mental disorders (HR 5.41, 95% CI 3.87-7.56), and musculoskeletal diseases (HR 4.46, 95% CI 3.49-5.71) when compared to those with neither. Synergy indices indicated that these associations were synergistic. Similar associations were observed for CMD and hazardous exposures, but not for combined exposures to CMD and computer or shift work. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of mental health problems among employees in physically demanding jobs is important to support work ability and reduce the risk of premature exit from work due to disability.

The joint contribution of physical activity, insomnia symptoms, and smoking to the cost of short-term sickness absence.

Physical inactivity has been associated with both insomnia symptoms and smoking. Further, they are all independently associated with increased sickness absence (SA) from work. However, joint contribution of either physical activity (PA) with insomnia symptoms or with smoking to SA and, especially, their direct cost for the employer is poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to examine these joint associations with short-term (<15 days) SA cost. The Helsinki Health Study is a cohort of midlife employees of the City of Helsinki, Finland (baseline n = 8960, response rate 67%). During 2000-2002, the participants were mailed a survey questionnaire that gathered information on health behavior and sociodemographic characteristics. SA, salary, and time of employment were followed up through the employer's personnel register between 2002 and 2016 for those with a written consent to the use of their register data (78% of the participants). Individual salary data were used to calculate the direct cost of short-term SA. Data were analyzed with a two-part model. Inactive participants with frequent insomnia symptoms had 2526€ (95% CI 1736€-3915€) higher cost of short-term SA than vigorously active participants without insomnia symptoms. Furthermore, inactive smokers had 4166€ (95% CI 2737€-5595€) higher cost for the employer over the follow-up than vigorously active non-smokers. In conclusion, this study showed that PA and insomnia symptoms as well as PA and smoking are jointly associated with short-term SA cost. The results emphasize encouraging employers to improve work environments so that they promote active lifestyle, good sleep, and non-smoking in order to reduce the cost of SA.

Adherence to the healthy Nordic diet is associated with weight change during 7 years of follow-up.

Studies indicate that the healthy Nordic diet may improve heart health, but its relation to weight change is less clear. We studied the association between the adherence to the healthy Nordic diet and long-term changes in weight, BMI and waist circumference. Furthermore, the agreement between self-reported and measured body anthropometrics was examined. The population-based DIetary, Lifestyle and Genetic Determinants of Obesity and Metabolic syndrome Study in 2007 included 5024 Finns aged 25-75 years. The follow-up was conducted in 2014 (n 3735). One-third of the participants were invited to a health examination. The rest were sent measuring tape and written instructions along with questionnaires. The Baltic Sea Diet Score (BSDS) was used to measure adherence to the healthy Nordic diet. Association of the baseline BSDS and changes in BSDS during the follow-up with changes in body anthropometrics were examined using linear regression analysis. The agreement between self-reported and nurse-measured anthropometrics was determined with Bland-Altman analysis. Intra-class correlation coefficients between self-reported and nurse-measured anthropometrics exceeded 0·95. The baseline BSDS associated with lower weight (ß=-0·056, P=0·043) and BMI (ß=-0·021, P=0·031) over the follow-up. This association was especially evident among those who had increased their BSDS. In conclusion, both high initial and improved adherence to the healthy Nordic diet may promote long-term weight maintenance. The self-reported/measured anthropometrics were shown to have high agreement with nurse-measured values which adds the credibility of our results.

Suitability of random forest analysis for epidemiological research: Exploring sociodemographic and lifestyle-related risk factors of overweight in a cross-sectional design.

AIMS: Factors that contribute to the development of overweight are numerous and form a complex structure with many unknown interactions and associations. We aimed to explore this structure (i.e. the mutual importance or hierarchy of sociodemographic and lifestyle-related risk factors of being overweight) using a machine-learning technique called random forest (RF). The results were compared with traditional logistic regression (LR) analysis. METHODS: The cross-sectional FINRISK 2007 Study included 4757 Finns (aged 25-74 years). Information on participants' lifestyle and sociodemographic characteristics were collected with questionnaires. Diet was assessed, using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Height and weight were measured. Participants with a body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m2 were classified as overweight. R-statistical software was used to run RF analysis ('randomForest') to derive estimates for variable importance and out-of-bag error, which were compared to a LR model. RESULTS: In total, 704 (32%) men and 1119 (44%) women had normal BMI, whereas 1502 (69%) men and 1432 (57%) women had BMI ≥25. Estimated error rates for the models were similar (RF vs. LR: 42% vs. 40% for men, 38% vs. 35% for women). Both models ranked age, education and physical activity as the most important risk factors for being overweight, but RF ranked macronutrients (carbohydrates and protein) as more important compared to LR. CONCLUSIONS: RF did not demonstrate higher power in variable selection compared to LR in our study. The features of RF are more likely to appear beneficial in settings with a larger number of predictors.

The healthy Nordic diet predicts muscle strength 10 years later in old women, but not old men.

Background: a number of nutrients have been found to be associated with better muscle strength and mass; however, the role of the whole diet on muscle strength and mass remains still unknown. Objective: to examine whether the healthy Nordic diet predicts muscle strength, and mass 10 years later among men and women. Methods: about 1,072 participants belong to the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, born 1934-44. Diet was assessed with a validated food-frequency questionnaire during 2001-04. The Nordic diet score (NDS) was calculated. The score included Nordic fruits, vegetables, cereals, ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids, low-fat milk, fish, red meat, total fat and alcohol. Higher scores indicated better adherence to the healthy Nordic diet. Hand grip strength, leg strength (knee extension) and muscle mass were measured during the follow-up, between 2011 and 2013. Results: in women, each 1-unit increase in the NDS was related to 1.83 N greater leg strength (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14-3.51; P = 0.034), and 1.44 N greater hand grip strength (95% CI: 0.04-2.84; P = 0.044). Women in the highest quartile of the NDS had on average 20.0 N greater knee extension results, and 14.2 N greater hand grip results than those in the lowest quartile. No such associations were observed among men. The NDS was not significantly related to muscle mass either in men or women. Conclusions: adherence to the healthy Nordic diet seems to protect from weaker muscle strength in old women. Therefore, the healthy Nordic diet may help to prevent disability.

A healthy Nordic diet and physical performance in old age: findings from the longitudinal Helsinki Birth Cohort Study.

Epidemiological studies have shown that a number of nutrients are associated with better physical performance. However, little is still known about the role of the whole diet, particularly a healthy Nordic diet, in relation to physical performance. Therefore, we examined whether a healthy Nordic diet was associated with measures of physical performance 10 years later. We studied 1072 participants from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study. Participants' diet was assessed using a validated 128-item FFQ at the mean age of 61 years, and a priori-defined Nordic diet score (NDS) was calculated. The score included Nordic fruits and berries, vegetables, cereals, PUFA:SFA and trans-fatty acids ratio, low-fat milk, fish, red and processed meat, total fat and alcohol. At the mean age of 71 years, participants' physical performance was measured using the Senior Fitness Test (SFT), and an overall SFT score was calculated. Women in the highest fourth of the NDS had on average 5 points higher SFT score compared with those in the lowest fourth (P for trend 0·005). No such association was observed in men. Women with the highest score had 17% better result in the 6-min walk test, 16% better arm curl and 20% better chair stand results compared with those with the lowest score (all P values<0·01). In conclusion, a healthy Nordic diet was associated with better overall physical performance among women and might help decrease the risk of disability in old age.

Periodontal condition in relation to intake of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

AIM: To examine whether the intake of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is associated with periodontal condition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study population consisted of non-smoking, non-diabetic and non-rheumatoid individuals in the Health 2000 Survey in Finland. Analyses were made in two age groups: 30-49 years (n = 1212) and 50-79 years (n = 980). Clinically determined sextants with gingival bleeding and teeth with periodontal pockets were used as outcome variables. Dietary data were collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Energy-adjusted intakes of arachidonic acid (AA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs, as well as ratios of EPA/AA and of DHA/AA, and omega-3/omega-6 PUFAs were used as exposures. Prevalence rate ratios were estimated using Poisson regression models. RESULTS: In this population, there were no statistically significant associations between the examined omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids or their ratios and the periodontal outcome variables. CONCLUSIONS: This cross-sectional study provided evidence that individual omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids, their subclasses or ratios are not associated with periodontal health among a non-diabetic, non-rheumatoid and non-smoking population.

Periodontal pocketing and gingival bleeding in relation to Nordic diet - results from a population-based survey.

AIM: To examine whether a Nordic diet measured by the Baltic Sea Diet Score (BSDS) and the Recommended Finnish Diet Score (RFDS) is associated with periodontal condition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study population consisted of non-smoking, non-diabetic and non-rheumatoid individuals in the Health 2000 Survey in Finland. Analyses were made in two age groups (30-49 years (n = 1210) and 50-79 years (n = 977)) and subsequently in two oral hygiene groups (good oral hygiene and poor oral hygiene). The number of sextants with gingival bleeding and the number of teeth with deepened periodontal pockets were used as outcome variables. Dietary data were collected by a validated food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Both the BSDS and the RFDS were weakly, although statistically significantly associated with less gingival bleeding in the younger age group (p = 0.019, p < 0.001). In the older age group, the RFDS or the BSDS associated inversely, although inconsistently, with gingival bleeding. RFDS and BSDS associated with both gingival bleeding and deepened periodontal pockets among those with poor oral hygiene. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the Nordic diet in some cases has a favourable effect on periodontal health. These findings warrant further studies on the role of diet in periodontal diseases.

Dietary carbohydrate quantity and quality in relation to obesity: A pooled analysis of three Finnish population-based studies.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between carbohydrate intake, dietary glycaemic index (GI) and load (GL), and obesity remains unsolved. Sugar intake and obesity represent a timely topic, but studies on sugar subcategories are scarce. We aimed to study whether total carbohydrate, sucrose, lactose, fibre, dietary GI, and GL are associated with obesity in 25-79-year-old Finns. METHODS: Our pooled analysis included three cross-sectional population-based studies: the DILGOM Study (n = 4842), the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study (n =1979), and the Health 2000 Survey (n = 5521). Diet was assessed by a validated food-frequency questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements were collected by standardised protocols. Pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In the model, which included sex, age, education, smoking, physical activity, and energy intake, the likelihood of being obese (body mass index ⩾ 30 kg/m(2)) appeared lower in the highest quartiles of total carbohydrate (OR 0.65; 95% CI 0.57-0.74; P for trend < 0.0001), sucrose (OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.47-0.61; P < 0.0001), and dietary GL (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.56-0.73; P < 0.0001) compared to the lowest quartiles. In contrast, dietary GI did not associate with obesity. Fibre intake associated inversely with abdominal obesity (OR 0.80; 95% CI 0.71-0.90; P < 0.001). The inverse sucrose-obesity relationship appeared stronger in high fruit consumers compared to low fruit consumers (P for interaction 0.02). CONCLUSIONS ALTHOUGH MOST OF THE STUDIED CARBOHYDRATE EXPOSURES WERE ASSOCIATED WITH A DIMINISHED LIKELIHOOD OF BEING OBESE, PROSPECTIVE STUDIES ARE NEEDED TO ASSESS TEMPORAL RELATIONS TO SUPPORT CAUSAL INFERENCE.

Higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are related to a reduced risk of depression.

Vitamin D has been suggested to protect against depression, but epidemiological evidence is scarce. The present study investigated the relationship of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) with the prevalence of depressive and anxiety disorders. The study population consisted of a representative sample of Finnish men and women aged 30-79 years from the Health 2000 Survey. The sample included 5371 individuals, of which 354 were diagnosed with depressive disorder and 222 with anxiety disorder. Serum 25(OH)D concentration was determined from frozen samples. In a cross-sectional study, a total of four indicators of depression and one indicator of anxiety were used as dependent variables. Serum 25(OH)D was the risk factor of interest, and logistic models used further included sociodemographic and lifestyle variables as well as indicators of metabolic health as confounding and/or effect-modifying factors. The population attributable fraction (PAF) was estimated. Individuals with higher serum 25(OH)D concentrations showed a reduced risk of depression. The relative odds between the highest and lowest quartiles was 0.65 (95% CI 0.46, 0.93; P for trend = 0.006) after adjustment for sociodemographic, lifestyle and metabolic factors. Higher serum 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with a lower prevalence of depressive disorder especially among men, younger, divorced and those who had an unhealthy lifestyle or suffered from the metabolic syndrome. The PAF was estimated to be 19% for depression when serum 25(OH)D concentration was at least 50 nmol/l. These results support the hypothesis that higher serum 25(OH)D concentrations protect against depression even after adjustment for a large number of sociodemographic, lifestyle and metabolic factors. Large-scale prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d concentration and risk of dementia.

BACKGROUND: High vitamin D status has been hypothesized to protect against dementia. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level predicts dementia risk. METHODS: The study was based on the Mini-Finland Health Survey. The study population consisted of 5010 men and women, aged 40-79 years, and free of dementia at baseline. During a 17-year follow up, 151 incident cases of dementia (International Classification of Diseases, revision 8, code 290) occurred, according to population registers. Serum 25(OH)D concentration was determined from serum samples frozen at -20 °C and stored at baseline. RESULTS: Among women, these with higher serum 25(OH)D concentrations showed a reduced risk of dementia. The hazard ratio between the highest and lowest quartiles of serum 25(OH)D was 0.33 (95% confidence interval = 0.15-0.73) in women and 0.74 (0.29-1.88) in men, after adjustment for age, month of blood draw, education, marital status, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, blood pressure, plasma fasting glucose, serum triglycerides, and serum total cholesterol. CONCLUSIONS: The results are in line with the hypothesis that low vitamin D status may be a risk factor for dementia.

Dietary and lifestyle characteristics associated with normal-weight obesity: the National FINRISK 2007 Study.

The aim of the present study was to compare the lifestyle (leisure-time physical activity, smoking habits and alcohol consumption) and dietary (energy-yielding nutrients, dietary fibre and foods) factors of Finns with a new syndrome called normal-weight obesity (NWO) with those of lean and overweight Finns. The representative population-based study included 4786 participants (25-74 years) from the National FINRISK 2007 Study with a health examination and questionnaires. Food intake was assessed using a validated FFQ. NWO was defined to include those with a normal BMI (<25 kg/m²) but excessive body fat (for men ≥20 % and for women ≥30 %) according to WHO definitions. The proportion of participants with a normal BMI was 28 % in men and 42 % in women. Of these, 34 % of the men and 45 % of the women had the NWO syndrome (among all the participants, 10 and 19 %, respectively). The waist circumference of the NWO participants was between that of the lean and overweight participants. Some potential risk factors, such as physical inactivity, (ex)-smoking and alcohol consumption, were related to NWO. In general, the intakes of energy-yielding nutrients were not associated with NWO. Instead, some healthy dietary factors (e.g. low intakes of meat and soft drinks) as well as unhealthy factors (e.g. low intakes of root vegetables, cereals and fish and high intake of confectionery) were related to NWO. The findings might explain why the NWO participants were of normal weight, but had an excessive body fat percentage. In conclusion, the proportion of normal-weight participants with an excessive body fat percentage was surprisingly high. The identification of NWO people may be of importance because although they appear lean, they have some unhealthy lifestyle and dietary habits related to obesity and overall health.

Associations of the Baltic Sea diet with cardiometabolic risk factors--a meta-analysis of three Finnish studies.

Dyslipidaemia, hypertension and low-grade inflammation increase the risk of CVD. In the present meta-analysis, we examined whether adherence to a healthy Nordic diet, also called the Baltic Sea diet, may associate with a lower risk of these cardiometabolic risk factors. In 2001-2007, three cross-sectional Finnish studies were conducted: the Dietary, Lifestyle and Genetic Determinants of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome study (n 4776); Health 2000 Survey (n 5180); Helsinki Birth Cohort Study (n 1972). The following parameters were assessed in these three studies: blood pressure, total, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, TAG and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP); a validated FFQ was used to assess the participants' dietary intakes. The Baltic Sea Diet Score (BSDS) was developed based on the healthy Nordic diet. All studies assessed confounding variables, such as physical activity and BMI, based on standardised questionnaires and measurements. The random-effects meta-analysis provided summary estimates for OR and 95 % CI by the BSDS quintiles. In the meta-analysis, the risk of elevated hs-CRP concentration was lower among men (OR 0·58, 95 % CI 0·43, 0·78) and women (OR 0·73, 95 % CI 0·58, 0·91) in the highest BSDS quintile than among those in the lowest BSDS quintile. In contrast, the risk of lowered HDL-cholesterol concentration was higher among women (OR 1·67, 95 % CI 1·12, 2·48) in the highest BSDS quintile than among those in the lowest BSDS quintile. However, no other associations were found. In conclusion, the associations between the adherence to the healthy Nordic diet and cardiometabolic risk factors are equivocal. Longitudinal studies are needed to further examine this hypothesis.

Reduced risk of Parkinson's disease associated with lower body mass index and heavy leisure-time physical activity.

The risk factors for Parkinson's disease (PD) are not well established. We therefore examined the prediction of various lifestyle factors on the incidence of PD in a cohort drawn from the Finnish Mobile Clinic Health Examination Survey, conducted in 1973-1976. The study population comprised 6,715 men and women aged 50-79 years and free of PD at the baseline. All of the subjects completed a baseline health examination (including height and weight measurements) and a questionnaire providing information on leisure-time physical activity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. During a 22-year follow-up, 101 incident cases of PD occurred. The statistical analyses were based on Cox's model including age, sex, education, community density, occupation, coffee consumption, body mass index (BMI), leisure-time physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption as independent variables. At first, BMI was not associated with PD risk, but after exclusion of the first 15 years of follow-up, an elevated risk appeared at higher BMI levels (P for trend 0.02). Furthermore, subjects with heavy leisure-time physical activity had a lower PD risk than those with no activity [relative risk (RR) 0.27, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.08-0.90]. In variance with findings for other chronic diseases, current smokers had a lower PD risk than those who had never smoked (RR 0.23, 95 % CI 0.08-0.67), and individuals with moderate alcohol intake (at the level of <5 g/day) had an elevated PD risk compared to non-drinkers. The results support the hypothesis that lifestyle factors predict the occurrence of Parkinson's disease, but more research is needed.