Greater male variability in daily energy expenditure develops through puberty.

There is considerably greater variation in metabolic rates between men than between women, in terms of basal, activity and total (daily) energy expenditure (EE). One possible explanation is that EE is associated with male sexual characteristics (which are known to vary more than other traits) such as musculature and athletic capacity. Such traits might be predicted to be most prominent during periods of adolescence and young adulthood, when sexual behaviour develops and peaks. We tested this hypothesis on a large dataset by comparing the amount of male variation and female variation in total EE, activity EE and basal EE, at different life stages, along with several morphological traits: height, fat free mass and fat mass. Total EE, and to some degree also activity EE, exhibit considerable greater male variation (GMV) in young adults, and then a decreasing GMV in progressively older individuals. Arguably, basal EE, and also morphometrics, do not exhibit this pattern. These findings suggest that single male sexual characteristics may not exhibit peak GMV in young adulthood, however total and perhaps also activity EE, associated with many morphological and physiological traits combined, do exhibit GMV most prominently during the reproductive life stages.

Mediators of parental educational differences in the intake of carbonated sugar-sweetened soft drinks among adolescents, and the moderating role of neighbourhood income.

BACKGROUND: Existing evidence suggests that the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) among adolescents remains a public health concern and that socioeconomic differences in intake exist. Tackling these challenges requires identifying the factors associated with SSB intake and the mediators of socioeconomic differences in SSB intake among adolescents. Thus, this study aimed to explore (i) factors at different levels of the ecological model associated with the intake of carbonated soft drinks with added sugar (hereafter called soft drinks), (ii) mediators of the association between parental education and the intake of soft drinks(iii) whether neighbourhood income moderates the indirect effect of parental education on adolescents' soft drink intake through potential mediators. METHODS: Data from 826 7th graders in Oslo, Norway, who participated in the TACKLE cross-sectional study conducted in 2020 were used. The association between factors at the individual, interpersonal and neighbourhood food environment levels and the intake of soft drinks among adolescents was assessed, as well as the mediating roles of these factors for the differences in intake by parental education, using multiple logistic regression and mediation analysis, respectively. Moderated mediation analyses were used to explore whether an indirect effect of parental education on adolescents' soft drink intake through potential mediators varies across neighbourhood income areas. RESULTS: Higher perceived accessibility of SSB at home, increased parental modelling for SSB intake, and increased frequency of food/drink purchased from the neighbourhood store were associated with a higher intake of soft drinks among adolescents and mediated the differences in intake by parental education. Neighbourhood food environment factors were neither statistically significantly associated with adolescents' higher intake of soft drinks nor explained the differences in intake by parental education. Moderated mediation analysis showed that the mediating effect of perceived accessibility of SSB at home on the association between parental education and adolescent soft drink intake was stronger among those living in low neighbourhood income. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified modifiable factors at the intrapersonal level (perceived accessibility of SSB at home and frequency of food/drink purchased from neighbourhood shops) and interpersonal levels (parental modelling for SSB intake) associated with a higher intake of soft drinks among adolescents and mediated the differences in the intake by parental education. The modifiable factors identified in this study could be targeted in public health initiatives among adolescents aimed at reducing the intake of soft drinks and the related differences by parental education.

Variability in energy expenditure is much greater in males than females.

In mammals, trait variation is often reported to be greater among males than females. However, to date, mainly only morphological traits have been studied. Energy expenditure represents the metabolic costs of multiple physical, physiological, and behavioral traits. Energy expenditure could exhibit particularly high greater male variation through a cumulative effect if those traits mostly exhibit greater male variation, or a lack of greater male variation if many of them do not. Sex differences in energy expenditure variation have been little explored. We analyzed a large database on energy expenditure in adult humans (1494 males and 3108 females) to investigate whether humans have evolved sex differences in the degree of interindividual variation in energy expenditure. We found that, even when statistically comparing males and females of the same age, height, and body composition, there is much more variation in total, activity, and basal energy expenditure among males. However, with aging, variation in total energy expenditure decreases, and because this happens more rapidly in males, the magnitude of greater male variation, though still large, is attenuated in older age groups. Considerably greater male variation in both total and activity energy expenditure could be explained by greater male variation in levels of daily activity. The considerably greater male variation in basal energy expenditure is remarkable and may be explained, at least in part, by greater male variation in the size of energy-demanding organs. If energy expenditure is a trait that is of indirect interest to females when choosing a sexual partner, this would suggest that energy expenditure is under sexual selection. However, we present a novel energetics model demonstrating that it is also possible that females have been under stabilizing selection pressure for an intermediate basal energy expenditure to maximize energy available for reproduction.

Associations between dietary patterns and gene expression pattern in peripheral blood mononuclear cells: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diet may alter gene expression in immune cells involved in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease susceptibility. However, we still lack a robust understanding of the association between diet and immune cell-related gene expression in humans. Therefore, we examined associations between dietary patterns (DPs) and gene expression profiles in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in a population of healthy, Norwegian adults (n = 130 women and 105 men). METHODS AND RESULTS: We used factor analysis to define a posteriori DPs from food frequency questionnaire-based dietary assessment data. In addition, we derived interpretable features from microarray-based gene expression data (13 967 transcripts) using two algorithms: CIBERSORT for estimation of cell subtype proportions, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) for cluster discovery. Finally, we associated DPs with either CIBERSORT-predicted PBMC leukocyte distribution or WGCNA gene clusters using linear regression models. We detected three DPs that broadly reflected Western, Vegetarian, and Low carbohydrate diets. CIBERSORT-predicted percentage of monocytes associated negatively with the Vegetarian DP. For women, the Vegetarian DP associated with a large gene cluster consisting of 600 genes mainly involved in regulation of DNA transcription, whereas for men, the Western DP inversely associated with a smaller cluster of 36 genes mainly involved in regulation of metabolic and inflammatory processes. A subsequent protein-protein interaction network analysis suggested that genes within these clusters might physically interact in biological networks. CONCLUSIONS: Although the present findings are exploratory, our analysis pipeline serves as a useful framework for studying the association between diet and gene expression.

Infant cholesterol and glycated haemoglobin concentrations vary widely-Associations with breastfeeding, infant diet and maternal biomarkers.

AIM: Elevated total cholesterol (TC) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) are risk factors for cardiovascular disease; however, little is known about their determinants in infants. We aimed to describe TC and HbA1c concentrations in infants aged 8-14 months and explore the relation between infant TC, HbA1c, breastfeeding, infant diet, and maternal TC and HbA1c. METHODS: In this cross-sectional pilot study, mothers of infants aged 6 and 12 months were invited to complete a food frequency questionnaire and to take home-based dried blood spot samples from themselves and their infants. RESULTS: Among the 143 included infants, the mean (SD, range) concentration was 4.1 (0.8, 2.3-6.6) mmol/L for TC and 4.9 (0.4, 3.7-6.0)% for HbA1c. There was no significant difference between age groups and sexes. There was a positive relation between TC concentrations of all infants and mothers (B = 0.30 unadjusted, B = 0.32 adjusted, P < .001 for both) and a negative relation between infant TC and intake of unsaturated fatty acids in the oldest age group (B = -0.09, P = .03 unadjusted, B = -0.08, P = .06 adjusted). Infant HbA1c was not significantly related to diet or maternal HbA1c. CONCLUSION: TC and HbA1c concentrations varied widely among infants aged 8-14 months. Infant TC was associated with macronutrient intake and maternal TC.

Is the environment in kindergarten associated with the vegetables served and eaten? The BRA Study.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to explore the associations between the economic, political, sociocultural and physical environments in kindergartens, along with the frequency and variety of vegetables served, and the amount of vegetables eaten. Method: The BRA Study collected data through two paper-based questionnaires answered by the kindergarten leader and pedagogical leader of each selected kindergarten, and a five-day vegetable diary from kindergartens (n = 73) in Vestfold and Buskerud Counties, Norway. The questionnaires assessed environmental factors, and the frequency and variety of vegetables served. The non-parametric Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to explore the associations between factors in the kindergarten environments and vegetables served and eaten. Results: Kindergartens that included expenditures for food and beverages in the parental fees served a larger variety of vegetables (p = 0.046). A higher frequency of served vegetables (p = 0.014) and a larger amount (p = 0.027) of vegetables eaten were found in kindergartens where parents paid a monthly fee of 251 NOK or more. Similarly, the amount of vegetables eaten was higher (p = 0.017) in kindergartens where the employees paid a monthly fee to eat at work. Furthermore, a larger amount (p = 0.046) of vegetables was eaten in kindergartens that had written guidelines for food and beverages that were offered. Conclusions: This study indicates that the economic environment in a kindergarten seems to be positively associated with the vegetables served and eaten there. This is of high relevance for public health policy as vegetable consumption is an important factor in reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases.

Exploratory dietary patterns: a systematic review of methods applied in pan-European studies and of validation studies.

Besides a priori approaches, using previous knowledge about food characteristics, exploratory dietary pattern (DP) methods, using data at hand, are commonly applied. This systematic literature review aimed to identify exploratory methods on DP in pan-European studies and to inform the development of the DEterminants of DIet and Physical ACtivity (DEDIPAC) toolbox of methods suitable for use in future European studies. The search was conducted in three databases on prospective studies in healthy, free-living people across the whole life span. To identify validated DP methods, an additional search without regional restrictions was conducted. Studies including at least two European countries were retained. The search resulted in six pan-European studies applying principal component/factor analysis (PC/FA) (n 5) or cluster analysis (n 2). The criteria to retain PC/factors ranged from the application of the eigenvalue>1 criterion, the scree plot and/or the interpretability criterion. Furthermore, seven validation studies were identified: DP, derived by PC/FA (n 6) or reduced rank regression (RRR) (n 1) were compared using dietary information from FFQ (n 6) or dietary history (n 1) as study instrument and dietary records (n 6) or 24-h dietary recalls (n 1) as reference. The correlation coefficients for the derived DP ranged from modest to high. To conclude, PC/FA was predominantly applied using the eigenvalue criterion and scree plot to retain DP, but a better description of the applied criteria is highly recommended to enable a standardised application of the method. Research gaps were identified for the methods cluster analysis and RRR, as well as for validation studies on DP.

Reduced plasma concentration of branched-chain amino acids in sarcopenic older subjects: a cross-sectional study.

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are essential amino acids that are necessary for muscle mass maintenance. Little is known about the plasma concentrations of BCAA and the protein intake in relation to sarcopenia. We aimed to compare the non-fasting plasma concentrations of the BCAA and the dietary protein intake between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic older adults. Norwegian older home-dwelling adults (≥70 years) were invited to a cross-sectional study with no other exclusion criteria than age. Sarcopenic subjects were defined by the diagnostic criteria by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. Non-fasting plasma concentrations of eight amino acids were quantified using NMR spectroscopy. Protein intake was assessed using 2×24-h dietary recalls. In this study, ninety out of 417 subjects (22 %) were sarcopenic, and more women (32 %) than men (11 %) were sarcopenic (P<0·0001). Sex-adjusted non-fasting plasma concentrations of leucine and isoleucine, and the absolute intake of protein (g/d), were significantly lower among the sarcopenic subjects, when compared with non-sarcopenic subjects (P=0·003, P=0·026 and P=0·003, respectively). A similar protein intake was observed in the two groups when adjusted for body weight (BW) and sex (1·1 g protein/kg BW per d; P=0·50). We show that sarcopenia is associated with reduced non-fasting plasma concentration of the BCAA leucine and isoleucine, and lower absolute intake of protein. More studies are needed to clarify the clinical relevance of these findings, related to maintenance of muscle mass and prevention of sarcopenia.

Measurement of availability and accessibility of food among youth: a systematic review of methodological studies.

BACKGROUND: Comprehensive and psychometrically tested measures of availability and accessibility of food are needed in order to explore availability and accessibility as determinants and predictors of dietary behaviors. The main aim of this systematic review was to update the evidence regarding the psychometric properties of measures of food availability and accessibility among youth. A secondary objective was to assess how availability and accessibility were conceptualized in the included studies. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Methodological studies published between January 2010 and March 2016 and reporting on at least one psychometric property of a measure of availability and/or accessibility of food among youth were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality. Existing criteria were used to interpret reliability and validity parameters. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were included. While 16 studies included measures of food availability, three included measures of both availability and accessibility; one study included a measure of accessibility only. Different conceptualizations of availability and accessibility were used across the studies. The measures aimed at assessing availability and/or accessibility in the home environment (n = 11), the school (n = 4), stores (n = 3), childcare/early care and education services (n = 2) and restaurants (n = 1). Most studies followed systematic steps in the development of the measures. The most common psychometrics tested for these measures were test-retest reliability and criterion validity. The majority of the measures had satisfactory evidence of reliability and/or validity. None of the included studies assessed the responsiveness of the measures. CONCLUSIONS: The review identified several measures of food availability or accessibility among youth with satisfactory evidence of reliability and/or validity. Findings indicate a need for more studies including measures of accessibility and addressing its conceptualization. More testing of some of the identified measures in different population groups is also warranted, as is the development of more measures of food availability and accessibility in the broader environment such as the neighborhood food environment.

Determinants of diet and physical activity (DEDIPAC): a summary of findings.

The establishment of the Determinants of Diet and Physical Activity (DEDIPAC) Knowledge Hub, 2013-2016, was the first action taken by the 'Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life' European Joint Programming Initiative. DEDIPAC aimed to provide better insight into the determinants of diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour across the life course, i.e. insight into the causes of the causes of important, non-communicable diseases across Europe and beyond. DEDIPAC was launched in late 2013, and delivered its final report in late 2016. In this paper we give an overview of what was achieved in terms of furthering measurement and monitoring, providing overviews of the state-of-the-art in the field, and building toolboxes for further research and practice. Additionally, we propose some of the next steps that are now required to move forward in this field, arguing in favour of 1) sustaining the Knowledge Hub and developing it into a European virtual research institute and knowledge centre for determinants of behavioural nutrition and physical activity with close links to other parts of the world; 2) establishing a cohort study of families across all regions of Europe focusing specifically on the individual and contextual determinants of major, non-communicable disease; and 3) furthering DEDIPAC's work on nutrition, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour policy evaluation and benchmarking across Europe by aligning with other international initiatives and by supporting harmonisation of pan-European surveillance.

The validity of a web-based FFQ assessed by doubly labelled water and multiple 24-h recalls.

The aim of this study was to validate the estimated habitual dietary intake from a newly developed web-based FFQ (WebFFQ), for use in an adult population in Norway. In total, ninety-two individuals were recruited. Total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by doubly labelled water was used as the reference method for energy intake (EI) in a subsample of twenty-nine women, and multiple 24-h recalls (24HR) were used as the reference method for the relative validation of macronutrients and food groups in the entire sample. Absolute differences, ratios, crude and deattenuated correlations, cross-classifications, Bland-Altman plot and plots between misreporting of EI (EI-TEE) and the relative misreporting of food groups (WebFFQ-24HR) were used to assess the validity. Results showed that EI on group level was not significantly different from TEE measured by doubly labelled water (0·7 MJ/d), but ranking abilities were poor (r -0·18). The relative validation showed an overestimation for the majority of the variables using absolute intakes, especially for the food groups 'vegetables' and 'fish and shellfish', but an improved agreement between the test and reference tool was observed for energy adjusted intakes. Deattenuated correlation coefficients were between 0·22 and 0·89, and low levels of grossly misclassified individuals (0-3 %) were observed for the majority of the energy adjusted variables for macronutrients and food groups. In conclusion, energy estimates from the WebFFQ should be used with caution, but the estimated absolute intakes on group level and ranking abilities seem acceptable for macronutrients and most food groups.

Inventory of surveillance systems assessing dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviours in Europe: a DEDIPAC study.

Background: There is a need for harmonized public health surveillance systems to monitor regional variations and temporal trends of health behaviours and health outcomes and to align policies, action plans and recommendations in terms of healthy diet and physical (in)activity within Europe. We provide an inventory of currently existing surveillance systems assessing diet, physical activity, and sedentary behaviours in Europe as a tool to assist in the identification of gaps and needs and to contribute to the roadmap for an integrated pan-European surveillance system. Methods: An inventory questionnaire was completed by representatives of eleven European countries. Eligible surveillance systems were required to meet specific inclusion criteria. First, pre-screening of available surveillance systems in each country was conducted. Second, an in-depth appraisal of the retained surveillance systems complying with the pre-defined requirements was performed. Results: Fifty surveillance systems met the inclusion criteria: six multinational European surveys and forty-four national surveys. Dietary intake and physical activity are the domains predominantly assessed and adults are the most frequently studied age group. Conclusions: Many on-going activities were identified at the national level focussing on adults, but fewer surveillance systems involving vulnerable groups such as infants and pre-school children. Assessment of sedentary and dietary behaviours should be more frequently considered. There is a need for harmonization of surveillance methodologies, indicators and target populations for between-country and over time comparisons. This inventory will serve to feed future discussions within the DEDIPAC-JPI major framework on how to optimize design and identify priorities within surveillance.

The effect of under-reporting of energy intake on dietary patterns and on the associations between dietary patterns and self-reported chronic disease in women aged 50-69 years.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether under-reporting of energy intake affects derived dietary patterns and the association between dietary patterns and self-reported chronic disease. Diets of 6204 women aged 50-69 years participating in the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program were assessed using a 253-item FFQ. We identified dietary patterns using principal component analysis. According to the revised Goldberg cut-off method, women with a ratio of reported energy intake:estimated BMR<1·10 were classified as low energy reporters (n 1133, 18 %). We examined the associations between dietary patterns and self-reported chronic diseases by log-binomial regression, and the results are presented as prevalence ratios (PR) and CI. 'Prudent', 'Western' and 'Continental' dietary patterns were identified among all reporters and plausible reporters. The PR expressing the associations between the 'Western' and 'Prudent' dietary pattern scores and self-reported chronic diseases were consistently highest among plausible reporters except for joint/muscle/skeletal disorders. The largest difference in PR among plausible v. all reporters was found for the association between the 'Prudent' pattern and diabetes (PR for highest v. lowest tertile: PRall reporters 2·16; 95 % CI 1·50, 3·13; P trend<0·001; PRplausible reporters 2·86; 95 % CI 1·81, 4·51; P trend<0·001). In conclusion, our results suggest that under-reporting can result in systematic error that can affect the association between dietary pattern and disease. In studies of dietary patterns, investigators ought to consider reporting effect estimates both for all individuals and for plausible reporters.

Exchanging a few commercial, regularly consumed food items with improved fat quality reduces total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol: a double-blind, randomised controlled trial.

The healthy Nordic diet has been previously shown to have health beneficial effects among subjects at risk of CVD. However, the extent of food changes needed to achieve these effects is less explored. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of exchanging a few commercially available, regularly consumed key food items (e.g. spread on bread, fat for cooking, cheese, bread and cereals) with improved fat quality on total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and inflammatory markers in a double-blind randomised, controlled trial. In total, 115 moderately hypercholesterolaemic, non-statin-treated adults (25-70 years) were randomly assigned to an experimental diet group (Ex-diet group) or control diet group (C-diet group) for 8 weeks with commercially available food items with different fatty acid composition (replacing SFA with mostly n-6 PUFA). In the Ex-diet group, serum total cholesterol (P<0·001) and LDL-cholesterol (P<0·001) were reduced after 8 weeks, compared with the C-diet group. The difference in change between the two groups at the end of the study was -9 and -11 % in total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, respectively. No difference in change in plasma levels of inflammatory markers (high-sensitive C-reactive protein, IL-6, soluble TNF receptor 1 and interferon-γ) was observed between the groups. In conclusion, exchanging a few regularly consumed food items with improved fat quality reduces total cholesterol, with no negative effect on levels of inflammatory markers. This shows that an exchange of a few commercially available food items was easy and manageable and led to clinically relevant cholesterol reduction, potentially affecting future CVD risk.

Perceived rules and accessibility: measurement and mediating role in the association between parental education and vegetable and soft drink intake.

BACKGROUND: The existence of socioeconomic differences in dietary behaviors is well documented. However, studies exploring the mechanisms behind these differences among adolescents using comprehensive and reliable measures of mediators are lacking. The aims of this study were (a) to assess the psychometric properties of new scales assessing the perceived rules and accessibility related to the consumption of vegetables and soft drinks and (b) to explore their mediating role in the association between parental education and the corresponding dietary behaviors. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey including 440 adolescents from three counties in Norway (mean age 14.3 years (SD = 0.6)) was conducted using a web-based questionnaire. Principal component analysis, test-retest and internal reliability analysis were conducted. The mediating role of perceived accessibility and perceived rules in the association between parental education and the dietary behaviors was explored using linear regression analyses. RESULTS: Factor analyses confirmed two separate subscales, named "accessibility" and "rules", both for vegetables and soft drinks (factor loadings >0.60). The scales had good internal consistency reliability (0.70-0.87). The test-retest reliability of the scales was moderate to good (0.44-0.62). Parental education was inversely related to the consumption of soft drinks and positively related to the consumption of vegetables. Perceived accessibility and perceived rules related to soft drink consumption were found to mediate the association between parental education and soft drink consumption (47.5 and 8.5 % of total effect mediated). Accessibility of vegetables was found to mediate the association between parental education and the consumption of vegetables (51 % of total effect mediated). CONCLUSION: The new scales developed in this study are comprehensive and have adequate validity and reliability; they are therefore considered appropriate for use among 13-15 year-olds. Parents, in particular those with a low educational background, should be encouraged to increase the accessibility of vegetables and to decrease the accessibility of soft drinks, in particular during dinner. Enforcing parental rules limiting soft drink intake in families with low parental education also appears relevant.

Dietary patterns of women aged 50-69 years and associations with nutrient intake, sociodemographic factors and key risk factors for non-communicable diseases.

OBJECTIVE: In women, the risk for non-communicable diseases increases after menopause. We aimed to identify major dietary patterns and study their associations with nutrient intake, sociodemographic factors and risk factors for non-communicable diseases among women aged 50-69 years. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. Food intake was recorded by a 253-item FFQ. Dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis. The associations between the dietary patterns and nutrients were described by Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis was used to examine the associations between the dietary patterns and age, education, BMI, physical activity and smoking. SETTING: The Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Programme. SUBJECTS: Women (n 6298) aged 50-69 years. RESULTS: Three dietary patterns were identified: 'Prudent', 'Western' and 'Continental'. Adherence to the 'Prudent' pattern was related to older age, higher education, higher BMI, more physical activity (P trend<0·001) and being a non-smoker (P<0·001). Adherence to the 'Western' pattern was related to older age, lower education, higher BMI, less physical activity (0·001≤P trend≤0·006) and lower alcohol intake (r =-0·28). Adherence to the 'Continental' pattern was related to younger age, higher education, higher BMI, less physical activity, (P trend<0·001), being a smoker (P<0·001) and higher alcohol intake (r=0·36). CONCLUSIONS: Three distinct dietary patterns were identified. High adherence to a 'Prudent' pattern was associated with a healthy lifestyle, while high adherence to a 'Western' or 'Continental' pattern was associated with an unhealthy lifestyle. These findings are valuable knowledge for health authorities when forming strategies to promote a healthier lifestyle among women.

Evaluation of dietary patterns among Norwegian postmenopausal women using plasma carotenoids as biomarkers.

A number of studies have examined dietary patterns in various populations. However, to study to what extent such patterns capture meaningful differences in consumption of foods is of interest. In the present study, we identified important dietary patterns in Norwegian postmenopausal women (age 50-69 years, n 361), and evaluated these patterns by examining their associations with plasma carotenoids. Diet was assessed by a 253-item FFQ. These 253 food items were categorised into forty-six food groups, and dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis. We used the partial correlation coefficient (r(adj)) and multiple linear regression analysis to examine the associations between the dietary patterns and the plasma carotenoids α-carotene, ß-carotene, ß-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene and zeaxanthin. Overall, four dietary patterns were identified: the 'Western'; 'Vegetarian'; 'Continental'; 'High-protein'. The 'Western' dietary pattern scores were significantly inversely correlated with plasma lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene and total carotenoids (-0·25 ≤ r(adj) ≤ -0·13). The 'Vegetarian' dietary pattern scores were significantly positively correlated with all the plasma carotenoids (0·15 ≤ r(adj) ≤ 0·24). The 'Continental' dietary pattern scores were significantly inversely correlated with plasma lutein and α-carotene (r(adj) = -0·13). No significant association between the 'High-protein' dietary pattern scores and the plasma carotenoids was found. In conclusion, the healthy dietary pattern, the 'Vegetarian' pattern, is associated with a more favourable profile of the plasma carotenoids than our unhealthy dietary patterns, the 'Western' and 'Continental' patterns.

Meal types as sources for intakes of fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains among Norwegian adults.

OBJECTIVE: To study how different meals contribute to intakes of fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains in a group of Norwegian adults and in subgroups of this population. Moreover, to investigate the consequences of skipping the meal contributing most to the intake of each food group (main contributing meal). DESIGN: Cross-sectional dietary survey in Norwegian adults. Dietary data were collected using two non-consecutive telephone-administered 24 h recalls. The recorded meal types were breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper/evening meal and snacks. SETTING: Nationwide, Norway (2010-2011). SUBJECTS: Adults aged 18-70 years (n 1787). RESULTS: Dinner was the main contributing meal for fish and vegetables, while snacks were the main contributing meal for fruit intake. For whole grains, breakfast was the main contributing meal. The main contributing meal did not change for any of the food groups when studying subgroups of the participants according to intake of each food group, educational level or age. A substantially lower intake of the food groups in question was found on days when the main contributing meal was skipped. CONCLUSIONS: Intakes of fruits, vegetables, fish and whole grains largely depend on one meal type. Inclusion of these foods in other meals in addition to the main contributing meal, preferably replacing energy-dense nutrient-poor foods, should be promoted.

The contribution of snacks to dietary intake and their association with eating location among Norwegian adults - results from a cross-sectional dietary survey.

BACKGROUND: Snack consumption has been reported to increase over recent decades. Little is known about possible associations between snack composition and snack eating location. In the present study, we aimed to describe the contribution of snacks to dietary intake in Norwegian adults and to investigate whether the composition of snacks differed according to where they were eaten. METHODS: Dietary data were collected in 2010 and 2011 using two telephone administered 24 h recalls about four weeks apart. In total, 1787 participants aged 18-70 years completed two recalls. The recorded eating locations were at home, other private household, work/school, restaurant/cafe/fast-food outlet and travel/meeting. RESULTS: Snacks contributed to 17% and 21% of the energy intake in men and women, respectively. Compared with main meals, snacks had a higher fiber density (g/MJ) and contained a higher percentage of energy from carbohydrates, added sugars and alcohol, while the percentages of energy from fat and protein were lower. The top five energy-contributing food groups from snacks were cakes, fruits, sugar/sweets, bread and alcoholic beverages. Snacks were mostly eaten at home (58% of all snacks) or at work/school (23% of all snacks). Snacks consumed at work/school contained less energy, had a higher percentage of energy from carbohydrates and had lower percentages of energy from added sugars, alcohol and fat than snacks consumed at home. Snacks consumed during visits to private households and at restaurants/cafe/fast-food outlets contained more energy, had a higher percentage of energy from fat and had a lower fiber density than snacks consumed at home. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that snacks are an important part of the diet and involve the consumption of both favorable and less favorable foods. Snacks eaten at home or at work/school were generally healthier than snacks consumed during visits to other private households or at restaurants/cafe/fast-food outlets. Nutritional educators should recommend healthy snack options and raise awareness of the association between eating location and snack composition.

Development of family and dietary habits questionnaires: the assessment of family processes, dietary habits and adolescents' impulsiveness in Norwegian adolescents and their parents.

BACKGROUND: There is a need for valid and comprehensive measures of parental influence on children's energy balance-related behaviours (EBRB). Such measures should be based on a theoretical framework, acknowledging the dynamic and complex nature of interactions occurring within a family. The aim of the Family & Dietary habits (F&D) project was to develop a conceptual framework identifying important and changeable family processes influencing dietary behaviours of 13-15 year olds. A second aim was to develop valid and reliable questionnaires for adolescents and their parents (both mothers and fathers) measuring these processes. METHODS: A stepwise approach was used; (1) preparation of scope and structure, (2) development of the F&D questionnaires, (3) the conducting of pilot studies and (4) the conducting of validation studies (assessing internal reliability, test-retest reliability and confirmatory factor analysis) using data from a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: The conceptual framework includes psychosocial concepts such as family functioning, cohesion, conflicts, communication, work-family stress, parental practices and parental style. The physical characteristics of the home environment include accessibility and availability of different food items, while family meals are the sociocultural setting included. Individual characteristics measured are dietary intake (vegetables and sugar-sweetened beverages) and adolescents' impulsivity. The F&D questionnaires developed were tested in a test-retest (54 adolescents and 44 of their parents) and in a cross-sectional survey including 440 adolescents (13-15 year olds), 242 mothers and 155 fathers. The samples appear to be relatively representative for Norwegian adolescents and parents. For adolescents, mothers and fathers, the test-retest reliability of the dietary intake, frequencies of (family) meals, work-family stress and communication variables was satisfactory (ICC: 0.53-0.99). Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Brief (BIS-Brief) was included, assessing adolescent's impulsivity. The internal reliability (Cronbach's alphas: 0.77/0.82) and test-retest reliability values (ICC: 0.74/0.77) of BIS-Brief were good. CONCLUSIONS: The conceptual framework developed may be a useful tool in guiding measurement and assessment of the home food environment and family processes related to adolescents' dietary habits, in particular and for EBRBs more generally. The results support the use of the F&D questionnaires as psychometrically sound tools to assess family characteristics and adolescent's impulsivity.