Assessment of knowledge and nutritional status of students before and after nutritional education.

INTRODUCTION: There are many educational and health programs implemented on a smaller or larger scale in Poland. Many of them address the problem of overweight and obesity in different age groups. Each such activity is considered valuable and important, since the problem of excessive body fat is growing and, in addition, poses a health risk due to the development of other diseases, including diabetes and hypertension. The aim of the study was to test the effectiveness of nutrition education implemented over a 7-week period and to assess the nutritional status of 32 students aged 20-21 from Wroclaw. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group of students participated in a Human Nutrition course that included 30 hours of lectures and 30 hours of exercises. In the study group, the level of knowledge was assessed twice (before and after education) using a questionnaire with 13 closed questions, and body composition analysis was performed twice (before and after education) using an InBody270 analyser. RESULTS: The study group showed a statistically significant increase in the number of correct answers on the nutrition knowledge questionnaire after the nutrition education (average 9.7 points vs. 11.4 points; p<0.05). No statistically significant differences were noted in the studied anthropometric parameters performed before and after nutrition education. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge gained during nutrition education allowed the surveyed students to give more correct answers in the questionnaire after the Human Nutrition course. The nutritional status of the surveyed students did not change statistically significantly, but two students achieved a weight reduction of 1.5-2 kg during the study period.

Salt Intake of Children and Adolescents: Influence of Socio-Environmental Factors and School Education.

(1) Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the salt consumption by children and adolescents from the Silesian Province (Poland), taking into account the region's dietary traditions and the age of the students+. (2) Methods: 300 students aged 10-18 from different types of schools were enrolled in the study and divided into groups in terms of school, sex, and the state of their nutrition. A survey questionnaire about dietary habits, including the frequency and serving size with respect to 12 salty products, was used. On the basis of the frequency and the amount of consumed products, as well as the data on salt content, the amount of total daily intake of salt was estimated. (3) Results: The mean daily intake of salt by children and adolescents was 1.083 g (0.433 g of sodium); children aged 10-12 consumed the highest amount of salt (1.296 g/day) compared to pupils aged 13-15 (1.131 g of sodium) and adolescents aged 16-18 (0.863 g/day). (4) Conclusions: With age, as a result of various factors, the consumption of salt declines. The parents' impact and the familial socio-environmental factors begin to wane, and other factors start to have influence, e.g., school education of a healthy lifestyle and health behavior of peers.

Body composition and Hashimoto disease.

BACKGROUND: Body weight or BMI do not provide any information about the content of muscle tissue, water content, body fat and its distribution in the body. Thyroid dysfunction is associated with a change in body weight, but also its composition regardless of physical activity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to compare the body composition of female patients diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease (HD) and the body composition of healthy women who have never been treated before due to thyroid diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study involved 47 women diagnosed with Hashimoto disease (HD) and 65 women declaring good health. Body mass and height and body composition analysis using bioelectrical impedance analysis were performed using the TANITA multi-frequency segmental body composition analyzer. Variables having a distribution similar to the normal distribution were analyzed by the analysis of variance (ANOVA), otherwise the Kruskal-Wallis test was used. RESULTS: Women with Hashimoto disease were characterized by significantly higher values of body weight, and thus BMI index, than healthy women (respectively 73.64 kg vs. 64.36 kg, p <0.0001; 27.65 kg/m2 vs. 23.95 kg/m2, p <0.001).The problem of excess body fat in the body statistically significantly more often affected women with Hashimoto disease than healthy women (44.7% vs. 13.8%, p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results regarding the weight and composition of the patients treated for thyroid disease indicate the need for further in-depth analyses. Even small abnormalities of the thyroid function in the range of reference values may result in the development of many adverse changes in the body.

Assessment of caffeine intake with food by Polish females and males.

Background: Caffeine is the most widespread psychoactive substance in the world. With long-term consumption of caffeinated beverages, there is a high probability of overtaking on caffeine. Objective: The aim of the study was to estimate the consumption of caffeine in the daily caffeine intake of Polish consumers, determine the caffeinated products in the intake of this substance. Materials and methods: The survey was completed by 433 respondents living in Poland. The research tool was the electronic questionnaire, which consisted of: a) questions about personal data and measurement anthropometric and the level of physical activity and smoking; b) questions regarding the portion size and frequency of consumption of coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, energy drinks and colacarbonated beverages. Results: The main sources of caffeine in the respondents' diet include: coffee (Me 43.64 mg/d) and tea (Me 37.60 mg/d). Approximately 20% of respondents exceeded the threshold of daily caffeine intake (safety level for children and adolescents up to 3 mg/kg b.w, for adults up to 5.7 mg/kg b.w), considered safe. Conclusions: Respondents who have crossed the safe dose of caffeine intake, should limit the consumption of products being its main source (coffee).

Assessment of food intakes for women adopting the high protein Dukan diet.

BACKGROUND: Overweight and obesity are metabolic disorders affecting both adults and children. Effective treatment of these conditions is focused on decreasing the body mass, through individually tailored and well balanced diets, along with increasing physical activity. Obese persons often, however, choose high protein diets for losing weight. Recently in Poland, the high-protein Dukan-diet has become very popular. OBJECTIVES: To assess dietary consumption in women adopting the Dukan-diet, including intakes of protein, fat, carbohydrate as well as vitamins and minerals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Subjects were 51 women aged 19-64 years on the Dukan-diet, who were surveyed by individually conducted interview. Women were asked to provide typical menus from each phase of their diets. Quantitative dietary intake assessment was achieved by an officially used 'Photograph album of foodstuffs and dishes' as custom-designed by the National Food and Nutrition Institute (IZZ) in Warsaw. RESULTS: Protein intakes in all subjects were excessive, especially those of animal origin when compared to recommended nutritional standards. In contrast, dietary carbohydrate intakes were low due to poor consumption of fruit and vegetables. Mineral and vitamin intakes revealed high potassium, iron and vitamins A, D and B2, but low vitamin C and folates. Women's average weight reduction after 8-10 weeks of dieting was approximately 15 kilograms. CONCLUSIONS: Many nutritional abnormalities were found in women on the high protein Dukan-diet. Adopting this diet in the long-term may pose health threats through acquiring kidney and liver disease, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.