Transformative Insights: Break Up with Salt (BUWS) Program's Short-Term Influence on Hypertension Risk Factors.

Break Up with Salt (BUWS) is a four-session community-based nutrition education program aimed at reducing key controllable hypertension risk factors. This pilot study utilized a pre-post survey design to assess short-term outcomes on food behaviors (including DASH diet eating patterns), physical activity, and overall well-being, in two groups of participants. The first "pilot" group (n = 25) completed a comprehensive, 16-item survey; the second "abbreviated" group (n = 27) completed a 5-item survey. The pilot group experienced improvements in whole grain (p = 0.04), sweetened beverage consumption, watching/reducing sodium (p = 0.04) and fat (p = 0.05) consumption, and time spent sitting (p = 0.04). The abbreviated group improved confidence in using food labels (p = 0.02), following the DASH diet (p < 0.01), preparing food without salt (p = 0.03), selecting lower sodium items when eating out (p = 0.04), and making a positive lifestyle change (p = 0.01). The BUWS program provides information and teaches strategies to manage or prevent hypertension. By effectively improving diet and food behaviors, BUWS has the potential to reduce hypertension risk factors and improve the general health of participants.

Associations between health issues and food consumption with overweight and obesity in three university students minorities.

Objective: To determine the presence of overweight and obesity among minorities, and the factors contributing to this weight disparity. Participants: The study comprises 3405 students including nonwhite, international, and first-generation college students. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey collected data on demographics, height, weight, self-health perception, overall sleep quality, progress in school, and food consumption. Three logistic regressions tested abnormal weight associations with health issues and food consumption. Results: Being 31 years-old or older, perception of health and consumption of ultra-processed food was significant with abnormal weight (BMI > 25). Only nonwhite and international students were correlated with ultra-processed and fast-food consumption respectively. Conclusion: Each minority presented vulnerabilities to high percentages of weights exceeding the appropriate rates of BMI. The high consumption of fast and ultra-processed foods makes it important to consider factors related to health perception in each minority group.

Snacking Consumption among Adults in the United States: A Scoping Review.

Snacks are a staple of the American diet, contributing to approximately 20% of energy intake. Most U.S. adults consume one to three snacks/day, yet few reviews have focused on snacking among this population. This scoping review was conducted to characterize snacks and snacking occasions among U.S. adults to further inform healthy eating practices. The protocol was prepared following the PRISMA-Extension for Scoping Reviews. Three web databases were used to identify articles using snacking or eating occasions as primary or secondary outcomes among U.S. adults. A search strategy was developed using subject headings, truncation, and phrase searching in the title and abstract of articles published between 2010 and 2022. A two-stage, multi-step screening process identified 31 of 4795 publications as meeting the inclusion criteria. Findings included identification of snacking themes, e.g., cues and motivations; diet composition; and weight management. Food quality, time of consumption, and convenience emerged as characteristics of snacking; time of day was found to influence food choice. Snacks contribute to or detract from a healthy diet. Strategic selection of healthy snack options can improve diet quality. Applied to nutrition education, this information can help strengthen programs or policies, ultimately contributing to health and wellbeing.

Examining food security among minority student groups, with particular attention on diversity and inclusion.

Objective: To identify signs of food insecurity (FI) and coping strategies among university students from three minority groups. Participants: Participants consisted of 3155 university students: 25.58% first-generation, 16.86% nonwhite, and 4.63% international. Methods: Students answered a questionnaire composed of the 2-item Hunger Vital Sign for food security, and questions about demographics, food campus resources, and coping strategies. Results: Among the three minorities, most students (53-57%) reported being food insecure. The food insecurity status was associated with being a senior, or graduate student, having participated in high school food programs, and use of university food resources in all minority groups. Also, a variation in the use of coping strategies to obtain food was reported among minority groups. Conclusion: There is a need to articulate minorities' awareness and use of the university's nutritional resources to face the high rates of FI. Campus initiatives should focus on the reality of underserved populations.

Social and cultural influences on food choices: A review.

Human food choices (FC) influence food production systems. Agriculture is responsible for feeding the entire population, and somehow generates different types of environmental degradation. Consumers play a decisive role in consumption trends because FC has shaped habits and behaviors. Food is an expression of people's identity, values, and lifestyle. The objective of this article is to analyze the factors that influence FC and to consider intervention strategies used to work on improving behaviors and FC. The influence of socio-cultural aspects, such as cultural capital, social stratifications, and the inequalities could possibly trigger consumers' FC. The effects of different factors such as foodscapes, social environments, tastes, and even nutritional information, have generated that, the consumer chooses a product under pressure or makes an uninformed choice that generally is unhealthy. Restricting food accessibility generates a reactive but non-aware action, so it is necessary to work creating a sustainable food culture, with the first step of consumers being self-aware of their current FC.

Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of Processed Foods in Honduras: Comparison of Three Nutrient Profiles.

Obesity is considered a global pandemic. Different countries have worked to implement front-of-package (FOP) labeling systems that define thresholds for critical nutrients (CN) as part of their public health policies. The objective of this study is to identify the proportion of Processed (PF) and Ultra-Processed (UPF) Foods marketed in Honduras, which meet or fall short of the criteria of three Nutrient Profile Models (NPM): PAHO (2016), Chile (2017) and the Central American Technical Regulation Proposal-Nutritional Warning Front Labeling (CATRP-NWFL 2017). This study is descriptive; 1009 products from 206 brands were collected nationwide. Descriptive statistics were performed. The mean CN compliance with the three models was 49.3% for sodium, 30.6% for sugars, 63.1% and 96% for saturated and trans fats. The PAHO and Chilean (NPM) similarly concentrated on the lower compliance with the established criteria, unlike the CATRP, which has less stringent criteria. This is the first assessment of CN content in PF and UPF in Honduras under three different NPMs. We highlight the importance of defining or adopting criteria for the implementation of NWFL as information for the consumer and thereby contribute to reducing the risks of obesity and related diseases.

Dieta mediterránea: modelo de alimentación para contribuir a la salud humana y del planeta / Mediterranean diet: food model to contribute to human and planet health

Una dieta saludable y sostenible provee los requerimientos nutricionales para la salud del ser humano y que además es saludable para nuestro planeta. Objetivo: resaltar la importancia de la dieta mediterránea como una dieta sostenible, destacando su efecto positivo para la salud humana y ambiental. Material y Métodos:la búsqueda de información se realizó en las bases de datos: PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, Elsevier, Cochrane, SpringerLink y Google Académico. La selección de información se centró en: 5 publicaciones de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura, de los últimos 7 años, 10 reportes del grupo de alto nivel de expertos en seguridad alimentaria y nutrición, mismos que iniciaron sus publicaciones en 2011, 29 artículos científicos y publicaciones del 2015 en adelante, en donde se realizó una excepción en cuanto a la antigüedad de dos publicaciones del 2009. Conclusión:la dieta mediterránea es una opción saludable para la salud, ya que disminuye la incidencia y probabilidad de ciertas enfermedades crónicas, contribuyendo también a una responsabilidad ambiental, al hacer uso eficiente de los recursos para la producción de los alimentos que formarán parte de esta dieta...(AU)