USDA Summer Meals Programs: Meeting the Nutritional Needs of Children.

BACKGROUND: Although research shows that children from households with low incomes have diet quality that is better during the school year vs the summer, very little research exists around the nutritional quality of summer meals available to children through the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) summer meals programs. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the extent to which summer meals contributed to meeting the daily nutritional goals from the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) for 9- to 13-year-olds. The current study also analyzed the types of food offered and the top food sources of energy and nutrients in summer lunches. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study analyzed a nationally representative sample of summer meal sites participating in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or the Seamless Summer Option (SSO). SETTING: Weekly lunch menus were obtained from 731 summer meal sites operating in the summer of 2018 (SFSP sites: n = 578; SSO sites: n = 153). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures included the most frequently offered foods in the major food groups. The energy and nutrient content of lunches offered were estimated and compared with the daily nutritional goals provided by the 2015-2020 DGAs for 9- to 13-year-olds. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Menu data were entered into USDA's SurveyNet and linked to the USDA's Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies 2015-2016. Foods were classified into major and minor food groups from the USDA's School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study. The energy and nutrient values were compared with the daily nutritional goals provided by the DGAs for children ages 9 to 13 years. RESULTS: Summer lunches provided substantial contributions toward the daily goals for energy and nutrients for 9- to 13-year-olds. SSO programs provided significantly more vegetables than SFSP programs (P < 0.05) and contained significantly higher amounts of vitamins A (P < 0.05), C (P < 0.05), and iron (P < 0.05). Sodium amounts were below the daily limit for 9- to 13-year-olds across both program types. CONCLUSIONS: Although SSO lunches offered more vegetables than SFSP lunches, lunches served in both SSO and SFSP contributed substantially toward the daily goals for energy and nutrients.

Community-Level Factors are Predictors of Severe Maternal Morbidity Among American Indian and Alaska Native Pregnant People in the Pacific Northwest in a Multilevel Logistic Regression.

INTRODUCTION: American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) pregnant people face barriers to health and healthcare that put them at risk of pregnancy complications. Rates of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) among Indigenous pregnant people are estimated to be twice that of non-Hispanic White (NHW) pregnant people. METHODS: Race-corrected Oregon Hospital Discharge and Washington Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System data were combined to create a joint dataset of births between 2012 and 2016. The analytic sample was composed of 12,535 AI/AN records and 313,046 NHW records. A multilevel logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between community-level, individual and pregnancy risk factors on SMM for AI/AN pregnant people. RESULTS: At the community level, AI/AN pregnant people were more likely than NHW to live in mostly or completely rural counties with low median household income and high uninsured rates. They were more likely to use Medicaid, be in a high-risk age category, and have diabetes or obesity. During pregnancy, AI/AN pregnant people were more likely to have insufficient prenatal care (PNC), gestational diabetes, and pre-eclampsia. In the multilevel model, county accounted for 6% of model variance. Hypertension pre-eclampsia, and county rurality were significant predictors of SMM among AI/AN pregnant people. High-risk age, insufficient PNC and a low county insured rate were near-significant at p < 0.10. DISCUSSION: Community-level factors are significant contributors to SMM risk for AI/AN pregnant people in addition to hypertension and pre-eclampsia. These findings demonstrate the need for targeted support in pregnancy to AI/AN pregnant people, particularly those who live in rural and underserved communities.

What is already known on this subject? American Indian and Alaska Native pregnant people face higher rates of severe maternal morbidity and mortality, and the risk is exacerbated for rural Indigenous pregnant people.What this study adds? This publication uses a multilevel model to assess the contribution of community-level factors in severe maternal morbidity risk for American Indian and Alaska Native pregnant people. This analysis highlights the important role that rurality, prenatal care adequacy and access to insurance play in maternal morbidity risk and discusses how those risks are disproportionately felt by American Indian and Alaska Native pregnant people in the Pacific Northwest.

Duration of WIC Participation and Early Feeding Practices Are Associated With Meeting the Added Sugars Recommendation at Age 3 Years.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether duration of participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and early feeding practices are associated with the likelihood of meeting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendation for added sugars (AS) at age 3 years. METHODS: Using data from the WIC Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (WIC ITFPS-2), logistic regression assessed associations between WIC participation patterns, early feeding practices, and whether 3-year-olds met the AS recommendation. RESULTS: Children introduced to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in their first year were about half (adjusted odds ratio, 0.65; P < 0.01) as likely to meet the recommendation as those not exposed in their first 2 years. First-year-only WIC participation (adjusted odds ratio, 0.61; P < 0.04) also increased the risk of excessive consumption compared with children who participated in their third year. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Duration of WIC participation is inversely associated with young children's AS intakes. Public health efforts to reduce WIC attrition and enhance education efforts focused on delaying sugar-sweetened beverage introduction are supported.

Racial Misclassification and Disparities in Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Among American Indians and Alaska Natives.

OBJECTIVES: Maternal substance misuse can result in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a drug withdrawal process in newborns exposed in utero to drugs. This study aimed to examine the effect of racial misclassification of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) on rates of NAS in two hospital discharge datasets in the Pacific Northwest. METHODS: We conducted probabilistic record linkages between the Northwest Tribal Registry and Oregon and Washington hospital discharge datasets to correct racial misclassification of AI/AN people. We assessed outcomes using International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision/Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM or ICD-10-CM) diagnosis codes. RESULTS: Linkage increased ascertainment of NAS cases among AI/AN by 8.8% in Oregon and by 18.1% in Washington. AI/AN newborns were 1.5 and 3.9 times more likely to be diagnosed with NAS than NHW newborns in Oregon and Washington, respectively. The results showed that newborns residing in rural Washington were 1.4 times more likely to be diagnosed with NAS than those living in urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: Correct racial classification is an important factor in improving data quality for AI/AN populations and establishing accurate surveillance to help address the disproportionate burden of neonatal abstinence syndrome among AI/AN. The results highlight the need for programing efforts tailored by insurance status and rurality for pregnant women using substances.

Shifts in Sources of Food but Stable Nutritional Outcomes among Children in the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), State governments, and school districts took unprecedented steps to mitigate the pandemic's impact on students' nutrition. To examine the effect of emergency responses on 6-year-old children's nutritional outcomes, this study analyzed longitudinal data from a national study of children's feeding practices, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children-Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 (WIC ITFPS-2). Findings include no differences in food insecurity prevalence; however, there were shifts in sources of food, with children in the post-COVID-emergency-declaration (post-ED) group consuming more dietary energy from stores and community food programs and less from restaurants and schools than children in the pre-COVID-emergency-declaration (pre-ED) group (p < 0.01 for all comparisons). Examination of within-person mean differences in 2015 Healthy Eating Index scores and nutrient intakes between ages 5 and 6 years revealed few statistically significant differences between the two groups: children in the post-ED group consumed slightly fewer vegetables (p = 0.02) and less sodium (p = 0.01) than their pre-ED peers. Findings suggest emergency efforts to maintain children's nutrition were largely successful in the early months of the pandemic. Research is needed to understand the mechanisms by which emergency efforts contributed to these findings.

Impact of Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentives on Household Fruit and Vegetable Expenditures.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the impact of the Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) grant program on self-reported fruit and vegetable (FV) expenditures. DESIGN: Pre-post quasi-experimental study design. SETTING: Farmers markets and grocery stores in states with FINI projects. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2,471 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households in 4 intervention groups who lived near a FINI retailer (farmers market or grocery store) and 4 matched comparison groups who did not live near a FINI retailer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Awareness and use of point-of-sale incentives and changes in self-reported monthly household FV expenditures. ANALYSIS: Ordinary least squares intent-to-treat regression model using lagged dependent variable model framework. RESULTS: Awareness of FINI was higher among households who were near a FINI retailer and had shopped there before FINI than those who lived near a FINI retailer but had not shopped there before FINI; the number of information sources from which SNAP participants heard about FINI was positively associated with incentive receipt (P < 0.05). Among those who received incentives, the average amount of incentives received at the last shopping trip ranged from $15 to $23. The FINI program had a positive impact on the average monthly FV expenditures for those in the farmers market shopper, grocery store shopper, and grocery store general intervention groups-increases ranged from $9 to $15 (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Point-of-sale incentives were associated with an increase in FV expenditures among SNAP households. Further research is needed to examine (1) effective messaging strategies to increase incentive awareness and (2) the long-term impact of incentives on FV expenditures.

COVID-19 Mortality Among American Indian and Alaska Native Persons - 14 States, January-June 2020.

American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons experienced disproportionate mortality during the 2009 influenza A(H1N1) pandemic (1,2). Concerns of a similar trend during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to the formation of a workgroup* to assess the prevalence of COVID-19 deaths in the AI/AN population. As of December 2, 2020, CDC has reported 2,689 COVID-19-associated deaths among non-Hispanic AI/AN persons in the United States.† A recent analysis found that the cumulative incidence of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases among AI/AN persons was 3.5 times that among White persons (3). Among 14 participating states, the age-adjusted AI/AN COVID-19 mortality rate (55.8 deaths per 100,000; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 52.5-59.3) was 1.8 (95% CI = 1.7-2.0) times that among White persons (30.3 deaths per 100,000; 95% CI = 29.9-30.7). Although COVID-19 mortality rates increased with age among both AI/AN and White persons, the disparity was largest among those aged 20-49 years. Among persons aged 20-29 years, 30-39 years, and 40-49 years, the COVID-19 mortality rates among AI/AN were 10.5, 11.6, and 8.2 times, respectively, those among White persons. Evidence that AI/AN communities might be at increased risk for COVID-19 illness and death demonstrates the importance of documenting and understanding the reasons for these disparities while developing collaborative approaches with federal, state, municipal, and tribal agencies to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on AI/AN communities. Together, public health partners can plan for medical countermeasures and prevention activities for AI/AN communities.

COVID-19 Among American Indian and Alaska Native Persons - 23 States, January 31-July 3, 2020.

Although non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons account for 0.7% of the U.S. population,* a recent analysis reported that 1.3% of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases reported to CDC with known race and ethnicity were among AI/AN persons (1). To assess the impact of COVID-19 among the AI/AN population, reports of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases during January 22†-July 3, 2020 were analyzed. The analysis was limited to 23 states§ with >70% complete race/ethnicity information and five or more laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases among both AI/AN persons (alone or in combination with other races and ethnicities) and non-Hispanic white (white) persons. Among 424,899 COVID-19 cases reported by these states, 340,059 (80%) had complete race/ethnicity information; among these 340,059 cases, 9,072 (2.7%) occurred among AI/AN persons, and 138,960 (40.9%) among white persons. Among 340,059 cases with complete patient race/ethnicity data, the cumulative incidence among AI/AN persons in these 23 states was 594 per 100,000 AI/AN population (95% confidence interval [CI] = 203-1,740), compared with 169 per 100,000 white population (95% CI = 137-209) (rate ratio [RR] = 3.5; 95% CI = 1.2-10.1). AI/AN persons with COVID-19 were younger (median age = 40 years; interquartile range [IQR] = 26-56 years) than were white persons (median age = 51 years; IQR = 32-67 years). More complete case report data and timely, culturally responsive, and evidence-based public health efforts that leverage the strengths of AI/AN communities are needed to decrease COVID-19 transmission and improve patient outcomes.

Gynecologic cancer incidence and mortality among American Indian/Alaska Native women in the Pacific Northwest, 1996-2016.

OBJECTIVES: Compare the incidence and mortality of gynecologic cancers among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) women to the Non-Hispanic White (NHW) population in the Pacific Northwest. METHODS: Age-adjusted cancer incidence (1996-2016) and mortality (2006-2016) rates were calculated from population-based state cancer registry and death certificate data obtained from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, and corrected for AI/AN misclassification. Incidence and mortality rate ratios (RR) were calculated to compare AI/AN and NHW women with gynecologic cancers. RESULTS: Across all gynecologic cancer sites, AI/AN women were diagnosed at a younger age compared to NHW women. AI/AN women had a higher incidence of cervical cancer compared to NHW women with a RR of 1.53 (95% CI: 1.34, 1.75). For all age groups, AI/AN women had a higher incidence of cervical cancer and the disparity was greatest in the 50-64 age group with a RR of 1.76 (95% CI: 1.36, 2.30). Cervical cancer mortality was greater among AI/AN women, with an all-ages RR of 1.79 (95% CI: 1.30, 2.46); the disparity was greatest in the 50-64 age group (RR: 2.88, 95% CI: 1.89, 4.38). For uterine cancer, AI/AN women had similar incidence rates as NHW women but higher mortality rates (RR: 1.35, 95% CI: 1.03-1.75). Incidence and mortality for ovarian cancer were similar between groups. CONCLUSION: Our analysis of gynecologic cancers among AI/AN in the PNW found significant disparities relative to NHW women in cervical cancer incidence and mortality. These disparities persist despite advances in prevention strategies.

Hepatitis C-Related Mortality Among American Indian/Alaska Native Persons in the Northwestern United States, 2006-2012.

OBJECTIVE: American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) persons are commonly misclassified in epidemiologic and administrative data sets. The race-corrected hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related mortality rate among AI/AN persons in the Northwest United States (Idaho, Oregon, and Washington State) is unknown. We quantified the disparity in HCV-related mortality between AI/AN persons and non-Hispanic white (NHW) persons in the Northwest during 2006-2012 after correcting misclassified AI/AN race. METHODS: After conducting probabilistic record linkage between death records and the Northwest Tribal Registry, we calculated HCV-related mortality rates for AI/AN and NHW persons by using National Center for Health Statistics bridged-race estimates standardized to the US 2000 standard population. RESULTS: The 2006-2012 aggregate age-adjusted HCV-related mortality rate per 100 000 population in the Northwest was 19.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.3-22.2) for AI/AN persons and 5.9 (95% CI, 5.7-6.1) for NHW persons (rate ratio [RR] = 3.3; 95% CI, 3.0-3.8). The disparity was larger among females (RR = 4.6; 95% CI, 3.8-5.5) than among males (RR = 2.9; 95% CI, 2.5-3.4). CONCLUSION: The disproportionate rate of HCV-related mortality among AI/AN persons in the Northwest highlights the need to expand HCV education, screening, and treatment among this population.

Identification of American Indians and Alaska Natives in Public Health Data Sets: A Comparison Using Linkage-Corrected Washington State Death Certificates.

CONTEXT: Efforts to address disparities experienced by American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) have been hampered by a lack of accurate and timely health data. One challenge to obtaining accurate data is determining who "counts" as AI/AN in health and administrative data sets. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of definition and misclassification of AI/AN on estimates of all-cause and cause-specific mortality for AI/AN in Washington during 2015-2016. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of death certificate data from Washington State. Data were corrected for AI/AN racial misclassification through probabilistic linkage with the Northwest Tribal Registry. Counts and age-adjusted rates were calculated and compared for 6 definitions of AI/AN. Comparisons were made with the non-Hispanic white population to identify disparities. SETTING: Washington State. PARTICIPANTS: AI/AN and non-Hispanic white residents of Washington State who died in 2015 and 2016. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Counts and age-adjusted rates for all-cause mortality and mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and unintentional injuries. RESULTS: The most conservative single-race definition of AI/AN identified 1502 AI/AN deaths in Washington State during 2015-2016. The least conservative multiple-race definition of AI/AN identified 2473 AI/AN deaths, with an age-adjusted mortality rate that was 48% higher than the most conservative definition. Correcting misclassified AI/AN records through probabilistic linkage significantly increased mortality rate estimates by 11%. Regardless of definition used, AI/AN in Washington had significantly higher all-cause mortality rates than non-Hispanic whites in the state. CONCLUSIONS: Reporting single-race versus multiple-race AI/AN had the most consequential effect on mortality counts and rates. Correction of misclassified AI/AN records resulted in small but statistically significant increases in AI/AN mortality rates. Researchers and practitioners should consult with AI/AN communities on the complex issues surrounding AI/AN identity to obtain the best method for identifying AI/AN in health data sets.

Drug, Opioid-Involved, and Heroin-Involved Overdose Deaths Among American Indians and Alaska Natives - Washington, 1999-2015.

The opioid epidemic has resulted in a threefold increase in drug overdose deaths in the United States during 1999-2015 (1). Whereas American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have experienced larger increases in drug overdose mortality than have other racial/ethnic groups in the United States (2), little is known about the regional impact of opioids in tribal and urban AI/AN communities. To address this data gap, death records from the Washington State Center for Health Statistics, corrected for misclassification of AI/AN race, were examined to identify trends and disparities in drug, opioid-involved, and heroin-involved overdose mortality rates for AI/AN and non-Hispanic whites (whites) in Washington. Although AI/AN and whites had similar overdose mortality rates during 1999-2001, subsequent overdose rates among AI/AN increased at a faster rate than did those among whites. During 2013-2015, mortality rates among AI/AN were 2.7 and 4.1 times higher than rates among whites for total drug and opioid-involved overdoses and heroin-involved overdoses, respectively. Washington death certificates that were not corrected for misclassification of AI/AN race underestimated drug overdose mortality rates among AI/AN by approximately 40%. National statistics on the opioid epidemic, which report that overdose mortality rates are significantly higher among whites than among AI/AN, are not reflective of regional prevalences, disparities, and trends. Comprehensive efforts to address the opioid epidemic in AI/AN communities rely on strong partnerships between tribal governments and local, state, and federal entities. Additional measures are needed for community-based surveillance, treatment, and prevention to effectively respond to the epidemic across diverse tribal and urban AI/AN communities.

Comparison of recruitment and retention among demographic subgroups in a large diverse population study of diet.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the feasibility of conducting a longitudinal study of diet among diverse populations by comparing rates of response throughout recruitment and retention phases by demographic and other characteristics. METHODS: Using quota sampling, participants were recruited from 3 geographically and demographically diverse integrated health systems in the United States. Overall, 12,860 adults, ages 20-70, were invited to participate via mail. Participation first required accessing the study's website and later meeting eligibility criteria via telephone interview. Enrollees were asked to provide two 24-hour dietary recalls, either interviewer-administered or self-administered on the web, over 6 weeks. Stepped monetary incentives were provided. RESULTS: Rates for accessing the study website ranged from 6% to 23% (9% overall) across sites. Site differences may reflect differences in recruitment strategy or target samples. Of those accessing the website, enrollment was high (≥ 87%). Of the 1185 enrollees, 42% were non-Hispanic white, 34% were non-Hispanic black, and 24% were Hispanic. Men and minorities had lower enrollment rates than women and non-Hispanic whites, partially due to less successful telephone contact for eligibility screening. Once enrolled, 90% provided 1 recall and 80% provided both. Women had higher retention rates than men, as did older compared to younger participants. Retention rates were similar across race/ethnicity groups. CONCLUSIONS: While study recruitment remains challenging, once recruited most participants, regardless of race/ethnicity, completed two 24-hour dietary recalls, both interviewer-administered and self-administered on the web. This study demonstrates the feasibility of collecting multiple 24-hour recalls including less expensive automated self-administered recalls among diverse populations.

Using Record Linkage to Improve Race Data Quality for American Indians and Alaska Natives in Two Pacific Northwest State Hospital Discharge Databases.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and adjust for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) racial misclassification in two hospital discharge datasets in the Pacific Northwest. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Oregon (2010-2011) and Washington (2011) hospital discharge datasets were linked with the Northwest Tribal Registry (NTR), a registry of AI/AN individuals who accessed services at Indian health facilities in the Northwest. STUDY DESIGN: Record linkage was used to match state hospital records to the NTR. A state record was considered misclassified if it matched the NTR and was coded as non-AI/AN or missing race data. Effect of misclassification was evaluated by comparing prelinkage and postlinkage, age-adjusted hospital discharge rates. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Researchers used Link Plus 2.0 software (Atlanta, GA, USA) for linkages and SAS 9.4 (Cary, NC, USA) for statistical analyses. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In Oregon, 55.4 percent of matching records were misclassified (66.5 percent miscoded white, and 22.1 percent were missing race information). In Washington, 44.9 percent of matching records were misclassified (61.8 percent miscoded white, and 32.7 percent were missing race information). Linkage increased ascertainment of AI/AN hospitalizations by 31.8 percent in Oregon and 33.9 percent in Washington. Linkage increased the rate ratio (RR) for AI/AN hospitalizations in comparison to non-Hispanic whites (NHW) from 0.81 to 1.07 in Oregon, and from 1.21 to 1.62 in Washington. CONCLUSION: Correction of race in hospital discharge datasets through linkage with a reference file of known AI/AN individuals is an important first step before analytic research on AI/AN health care in the Pacific Northwest can be accomplished with administrative datasets.

Comparison of Interviewer-Administered and Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Recalls in 3 Diverse Integrated Health Systems.

Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls provide high-quality intake data but have been prohibitively expensive for large epidemiologic studies. This study's goal was to assess whether the web-based Automated Self-Administered 24-Hour Recall (ASA24) performs similarly enough to the standard interviewer-administered, Automated Multiple-Pass Method (AMPM) 24-hour dietary recall to be considered a viable alternative. In 2010-2011, 1,081 adults from 3 integrated health systems in Detroit, Michigan; Marshfield, Wisconsin; and Kaiser-Permanente Northern California participated in a field trial. A quota design ensured a diverse sample by sex, age, and race/ethnicity. Each participant was asked to complete 2 recalls and was randomly assigned to 1 of 4 protocols differing by type of recall and administration order. For energy, the mean intakes were 2,425 versus 2,374 kcal for men and 1,876 versus 1,906 kcal for women by AMPM and ASA24, respectively. Of 20 nutrients/food groups analyzed and controlling for false discovery rate, 87% were judged equivalent at the 20% bound. ASA24 was preferred over AMPM by 70% of the respondents. Attrition was lower in the ASA24/AMPM study group than in the AMPM/ASA24 group, and it was lower in the ASA24/ASA24 group than in the AMPM/AMPM group. ASA24 offers the potential to collect high-quality dietary intake information at low cost with less attrition.

Development of a field-friendly automated dietary assessment tool and nutrient database for India.

Studies of diet and disease risk in India and among other Asian-Indian populations are hindered by the need for a comprehensive dietary assessment tool to capture data on the wide variety of food and nutrient intakes across different regions and ethnic groups. The nutritional component of the India Health Study, a multicentre pilot cohort study, included 3908 men and women, aged 35-69 years, residing in three regions of India (New Delhi in the north, Mumbai in the west and Trivandrum in the south). We developed a computer-based, interviewer-administered dietary assessment software known as the 'NINA-DISH (New Interactive Nutrition Assistant - Diet in India Study of Health)', which consisted of four sections: (1) a diet history questionnaire with defined questions on frequency and portion size; (2) an open-ended section for each mealtime; (3) a food-preparer questionnaire; (4) a 24 h dietary recall. Using the preferred meal-based approach, frequency of intake and portion size were recorded and linked to a nutrient database that we developed and modified from a set of existing international databases containing data on Indian foods and recipes. The NINA-DISH software was designed to be easily adaptable and was well accepted by the interviewers and participants in the field. A predominant three-meal eating pattern emerged; however, patterns in the number of foods reported and the primary contributors to macro- and micronutrient intakes differed by region and demographic factors. The newly developed NINA-DISH software provides a much-needed tool for measuring diet and nutrient profiles across the diverse populations of India with the potential for application in other South Asian populations living throughout the world.

Protective effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Andrographis paniculata on ischaemia-reperfusion induced myocardial injury in rats.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Protecting myocardium from ischaemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury is important to reduce the complication of myocardial infarction (MI) and interventional revascularization procedures. In the present study, the cardioprotective potential of hydroalcoholic extract of Andrographis paniculata was evaluated against left anterior descending coronary artery (LADCA) ligation-induced I-R injury of myocardium in rats. METHODS: MI was induced in rats by LADCA ligation for 45 min followed by reperfusion for 60 min. The rats were divided into five experimental groups viz., sham (saline treated, but LADCA was not ligated), I-R control (saline treated + I-R), benazepril (30 mg/kg + I-R), A. paniculata (200 mg/kg per se) and A. paniculata (200 mg/kg + I-R). A. paniculata was administered orally for 31 days. On day 31, rats were subjected to the I-R and cardiac function parameters were recorded. Further, rats were sacrificed and heart was excised for biochemical and histopathological studies. RESULTS: In I-R control group, LADCA ligation resulted in significant cardiac dysfunction evidenced by reduced haemodynamic parameters; mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). The left ventricular contractile function was also altered. In I-R control group, I-R caused decline in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced glutathione (GSH) as well as leakage of myocytes injury marker enzymes, creatine phosphokinase-MB (CK-MB) isoenzyme and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and enhanced lipid peroxidation product, malonaldialdehyde (MDA). However, rats pretreated with A. paniculata 200 mg/kg showed favourable modulation of haemodynamic and left ventricular contractile function parameters, restoration of the myocardial antioxidants and prevention of depletion of myocytes injury marker enzymes along with inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Histopathological observations confirmed the protective effects of A. paniculata. The cardioprotective effects of A. paniculata were found comparable to that of benazepril treatment. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed the cardioprotective effects of A. paniculata against I-R injury likely result from the suppression of oxidative stress and preserved histoarchitecture of myofibrils along with improved haemodynamic and ventricular functions.

Root extract of Anacyclus pyrethrum ameliorates seizures, seizure-induced oxidative stress and cognitive impairment in experimental animals.

In Ayurveda, Anacyclus pyrethrum has been used as a brain tonic. The present study evaluates the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of A. pyrethrum (HEAP) root against seizures, seizure-induced oxidative stress and cognitive impairment in experimental models of seizures. Male Wistar rats were used in the study. HEAP was administered in doses of 50, 100, 250, 500 in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) model and 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg in maximal electroshock (MES) model. Myoclonic jerk latency and generalized tonic clonic seizures (GTCS) were noted in PTZ whereas occurrence of tonic hind limb extension (THLE) was observed in MES seizures. Cognitive deficit was assessed using elevated plus maze and passive avoidance tests. Whole brain reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde levels and cholinesterase activity were measured. HEAP showed 50, 66.7, 83.3 and 100% protection at 50,100, 250 and 500 mg/kg, respectively against GTCS in PTZ induced seizures. In MES induced seizures, HEAP produced 16.7, 33.3 and 50% protection against THLE at 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg, respectively. HEAP administration significantly prevented seizure induced oxidative stress and cognitive impairment in a dose-dependent manner. HEAP also normalized the decrease in cholinesterase activity caused by seizures. Thus, HEAP showed protective effect against seizures, seizure-induced oxidative stress and cognitive impairment in rats.

Emblica officinalis exerts antihypertensive effect in a rat model of DOCA-salt-induced hypertension: role of (p) eNOS, NO and oxidative stress.

Emblica officinalis (EO) has antioxidant properties that could improve redox-sensitive vascular, cardiac and renal changes associated with deoxycorticosterone acetate/1% NaCl high salt (DOCA/HS)-induced hypertension. We determined whether hydroalcoholic lyophilized extract of EO may influence DOCA/HS-induced hypertension by modulating activity of (p) eNOS and endogenous antioxidants. Hypertension was induced in rats by DOCA-salt (20 mg/kg, s.c.) twice weekly for 5 weeks and replacing drinking water with 1% NaCl solution. These rats received cotreatment of different doses of EO (75, 150 and 300 mg/kg/day) for 5 weeks. EO significantly decreased arterial blood pressure and heart rate along with cardiac and renal hypertrophy in a dose-dependent fashion as compared to DOCA control rats. Increased TBARS and decreased endogenous antioxidants including GSH, SOD and GSHPx activity in serum, heart and kidney tissues of hypertensive rats were also normalized. Furthermore, this antihypertensive activity of EO was also linked with increased serum NO, K(+) levels and decreased Na(+) levels. Moreover, EO robustly increased activated eNOS expression in heart. Our results demonstrate that EO reduces oxidative stress, prevents development and progression of hypertension as well as cardiac and renal hypertrophy in DOCA/HS-induced hypertension via modulation of activated eNOS, endogenous antioxidants, serum NO and electrolyte levels.

Hydroalcoholic extract of Zizyphus jujuba ameliorates seizures, oxidative stress, and cognitive impairment in experimental models of epilepsy in rats.

The anticonvulsant effect of the hydroalcoholic extract of Zizyphus jujuba (HEZJ) fruit (100, 250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg, orally) was evaluated in experimental seizure models in rats. The effect of HEZJ on seizure-induced cognitive impairment, oxidative stress, and cholinesterase activity was also investigated. HEZJ (1000 mg/kg) exhibited maximum protection (100%) against generalized tonic-clonic seizures in the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) seizure model and and 66.7% protection against tonic hindlimb extension in the maximal electroshock (MES) seizure model. Significant impairment in cognitive functions was observed in both PTZ- and MES-challenged rats. Pretreatment with HEZJ resulted in significant improvement in learning and memory. HEZJ also reversed the oxidative stress induced by both PTZ and MES. The significant decrease in cholinesterase activity observed in the PTZ and MES models was significantly reversed by pretreatment with HEZJ. Thus, the present study demonstrates the anticonvulsant effect of HEZJ as well as amelioration of cognitive impairment induced by seizures in rats.