Assessment of the national school lunch program in a subset of schools in San Juan, Puerto Rico: participants vs. non-participants.

OBJECTIVE: Extensive evaluations of the national school lunch program (NSLP) have been carried out on the U.S. mainland. Puerto Rico, a commonwealth of the U.S. is a participant in this program, but has never been included in assessment studies. Herein, we present assessment information and compare results with comparable mainland studies. METHODS: Multiple 24-hr recall questionnaires were administered to groups of participating (P) and non-participating (NP) children in the lunch program at 3 educational levels. Comparisons were made for children within the study as well as between comparable children in mainland studies for total intake of several macro- and micro-nutrients, contribution of the lunch to the total daily intake and adherence to U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA's) or to Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI's) including acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges (AMDR's). RESULTS: Target intakes were met by P for % of the RDA of energy from protein, for all water soluble vitamins, iron, zinc and cholesterol. P did not achieve target intakes for total energy, energy from carbohydrates and fat nor for fat soluble vitamins, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and fiber. Recommended levels were exceeded for sodium, total fat and saturated fat. Comparing P vs NP, the vast majority of both groups fell within AMDR recommendations for macronutrients but not all micronutrients. CONCLUSION: For the most part, our results parallel those obtained in the National sample however, results suggest that P in the lunch program in Puerto Rico have a healthier intake of several nutrients than NP students. The unique feature of this study is that it is the first assessment of the NSLP in a completely Hispanic population.

High Carbohydrate vs High Fat Diets: Which is Preferable for Long-term Use?

Background: Commercial manufacturers have formulated diets to promote not only weight reduction but also to reduce risks of chronic diseases. Objective: To determine if these formulations satisfy requirements for essential nutrients and their suitability for long term use. Methods: We have selected two established commercial diets, one high carbohydrate, low fat (diet 1) and the other, low carbohydrate, high fat (diet 2) and determined "representative meals" through use of recipes suggested in the manufacturer's manuals. Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR) software has been used to perform the most extensive nutrient analysis to date of these diets. Results: Tables report macronutrients (energy), vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and nutrient-related components for a total of 62 entries. Diet 1 satisfied requirements for 50 of these (81%) with only vitamin B12, vitamin D, and essential fatty acids not reaching recommended levels, while fiber and glycemic load exceeded suggested values. Diet 2 satisfied requirements for forty- six of the components (71%) but had excess percentage of fat, especially saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol as well as decreased percentage of carbohydrate resulting in suboptimal intake of B-complex vitamins (B1, niacin and total folate) as well as fiber. Conclusions: Neither diet satisfied adequacies for all reported nutrients. However, based on nutrient content alone diet 1, if supplemented, could be sustained over the long term whereas diet 2, even if supplemented, should not be encouraged for long term adaptation.

Validation and reproducibility of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire for use in Puerto Rican children.

OBJECTIVE: Knowledge of the diet of specific populations is of importance in the assessment of nutrient intake. Herein, we assess the reproducibility and validity of an interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in Puerto Rican children at two educational levels--elementary (ES) and high school (HS). METHODS: The FFQ contained 97 items including supplements. It was administered twice (FFQ1 and FFQ2) within a 2 week interval between which three dietary food records (DFR's) were collected. In all, 94 ES children (40 boys and 54 girls) and 89 HS children (42 boys and 47 girls) participated in this IRB-approved study. RESULTS: Results showed correlations between FFQ1 and FFQ2 for representative macro- and micronutrients lower than reported in the literature. Correlation coefficients were higher for HS (mean R = 0.43) compared to ES (mean R = 0.21) and higher for girls than for boys at both school levels. Results for validation also showed lower correlations between the FFQ2 and DFR's compared to other studies, which was higher in HS students (mean R = 0.34) compared to ES students (mean R = 0.10). However, these same nutrients were cross-classified into equivalent quartiles for both the FFQ and DFR with an accuracy of about 66%. CONCLUSION: We have designed and validated a FFQ, appropriate for use in Puerto Rican schoolchildren to estimate energy intake in younger students and energy and micronutrients in older students. The significance of this research is that there is now an updated instrument for use in dietary studies in Puerto Rican youth.

Plasma homocysteine concentrations in a population of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta): reference ranges and accompanying plasma concentrations of folate and vitamin B12.

The circulating level of homocysteine (Hcy) is recognized as a major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in humans. Nonhuman primates are being investigated to see whether they will be accurate models for Hcy indicators of cardiovascular dysfunction. Normal reference values are available in humans for Hcy as classified by age, gender, ethnic origin, and biological factors, however similar information in nonhuman primates had not been published previously. The purpose of this report is to provide normal Hcy values in a large group of nonhuman primates in light of age, gender, and physiologic state (pregnancy and lactation) and to compare these values to the same parameters in humans to highlight similar and dissimilar trends. In addition, plasma levels of folic acid and vitamin B(12), which are determinants of Hcy status in humans, are presented. Samples obtained from a troop of 149 rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) fed a high protein commercial diet were analyzed for Hcy by using high-performance liquid chromatography. Folate and vitamin B(12) levels were determined by using an autoanalyzer. Results (mean [95% confidence interval]) for the entire troop were: Hcy, 4.5 (4.2-4.9) micromol/L; folic acid, 8.6 (8.0-9.1) micromol/L; and vitamin B(12), 673 (611-741) pmol/L. Quantitative values are similar to published values for another species of wild-caught macaques. Similar to trends noted for humans, male monkeys had higher Hcy values than did female animals, pregnant animals had lower values than did nonpregnant ones, and Hcy levels were inversely proportional to plasma folate and vitamin B(12) concentrations. However, homocysteine levels in rhesus monkeys did not vary consistently with age, whereas they increase with age in humans.