Design and Validation of a Food Frequency Questionnaire to Evaluate the Consumption of Trans Fatty Acids in the Adult Population (FFQ-TFA).

Instruments for estimating the intake of food components can be useful in the prevention and/or treatment of diseases related to improper diet. There is, at present, no scientifically validated instrument for estimating consumption of trans fatty acids (TFA) in the Mexican population. The objective of this study was to design and validate such an instrument: a questionnaire that can be used to estimate consumption of TFA from food products. The questionnaire was applied to 162 students from the Autonomous University of Querétaro (UAQ). There were two phases to the study: (1) design of a food frequency questionnaire to assess consumption of trans fatty acids (FFQ-TFA) and an eating practices questionnaire (EPQ-TFA); (2) validation of the instrument. Content validity was measured by expert review and by Aiken's V method, obtaining an overall score of 0.895. As final tests for the FFQ-TFA analysis, criterion validity was measured using Spearman's correlation (r = 0.717, p < 0.01) and a linear regression (B = 0.668), considering the results of the 24-h dietary recall (24 HR); and reproducibility or temporal stability was measured using Pearson's correlation (r = 0.406, p < 0.01). Subsequently, a Pearson correlation was applied between TFA consumption estimated by the FFQ-TFA-2 and the global score from the EPQ-TFA-2 (r = 0.351, p < 0.01). A Pearson correlation was applied between the EPQ-TFA-1 and the EPQ-TFA-2 (r = 0.575, p < 0.01). TFA consumption per day was 2.49 ± 1.32 g in the participating population, which was 1.04 ± 0.51% of their total kcal consumption.

Proximity and High Density of Convenience Stores Was Associated With Obesity in Children of a Rural Community of Mexico: Using a Geographic Information System Approach.

BACKGROUND: Food environment (FE) has been linked to obesity in urban areas, but there is limited information in rural areas, particularly in developing countries, where prevalence of obesity is high. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between FE and childhood obesity using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). METHODS: A total of 218 (8-10 years) children participated in a cross-sectional study. Weight, height, and body fat were measured. Geolocation of convenience stores (CS) and participants' households was collected, and the amount of processed food (PF) in the stores was measured. The proximity to the nearest CS and the number of CS within a 250-m buffer from each participant's household was calculated using GIS. Linear regression models between obesity measurements and FE were performed. RESULTS: The combined prevalence of overweight and obesity was 32%. A total of 91% of the children had access to a CS within 250 m. On average, 48% of the shelf-space of the CS were occupied with PF. A positive association between the density of CS with body fat % (ß = .145; 95% CI, 0.048-0.241, P = .004), abdominal fat % (ß = .206; 95% CI, 0.048-0.241, P = .003), and body mass index (BMI)-for-age z-score (BMIz; ß = .028; 95% CI, 0.005-0.062, P = .005) was found. Living closer to CS was associated with increases in body fat % (ß = -0.009; 95% CI, -0.017 to -0.001, P = 0.025), abdominal fat % (ß = -0.012; 95% CI, -0.023 to -0.001, P = 0.033), and BMIz (ß = -0.002, 95% CI, -0.004 to -0.001, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: In a rural community in Mexico, a high density and low proximity to CS is associated with obesity in school-aged children.

Body Condition Score and Milk Production on Conception Rate of Cows under a Small-Scale Dairy System.

Management and production characteristics impact conception rate to first service (CR1S) in small-scale dairy farms, but the impact of body condition score (BCS) and milk production levels on cows' fertility is unknown. Our objective is to determine the effect of BCS and milk production on CR1S in small-scale dairy farms of western Mexico. Logistic regression models are used to determine the effect of BCS (at calving and first service), 60-d and 305-d milk production, protein and fat production, lactation number, and days at first service on CR1S. BCS at calving does not affect CR1S in cows with three or more lactations (39.5%; p > 0.1). However, first-lactation cows with BCS < 3.0 at calving and second lactation cows with BCS ≤ 2.5 at calving have higher CR1S (63.2 and 67.9%, respectively; p < 0.1). This result is perhaps due to reduced milk production, which leads to lower metabolic stress. BCS ≤ 2.5 at calving is associated (p < 0.05) with a reduced milk yield, explaining partially the observed higher CR1S in these groups. Cows with BCS ≤ 2.5 at first service in the higher quartile of 60-d milk production (≥ 28kg/day) show lower CR1S (23.9 and 51.1%, respectively; p < 0.01). In conclusion, BCS at calving and at first service, 60-d milk production, and lactation number are factors associated with CR1S.

Iodine nutrition and thyroid function assessment in childbearing age women from Queretaro, Mexico.

OBJECTIVE: To assess iodine nutrition and thyroid function in Mexican childbearing age women. METHODS: 101 childbearing age women (21.7 ± 3.5 years) randomly selected from the university student population participated in this cross-sectional study. TSH, thyroid hormones, anti-thyroid antibodies, thyroid volume, iodine intake, and urinary iodine concentration (UIC) were assessed. The knowledge about the importance of iodine in nutrition was also evaluated by using questionnaires. RESULTS: TSH median (interquartile range) value was 1.9 (1.4-2.5) mIU/L, while FT4 median value was 9.0 (8.3- 9.6) µg/dL. The median FT3 and total rT3 values were 3.3 pg/mL and 40.1 ng/dL, respectively. The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism (serum TSH >4.5 mIU/L) and of positive anti-thyroid antibodies were 2.9% and <5.9%, respectively. Median thyroid volume was 5.6 mL and none of the subjects were diagnosed with goiter. Median urinary iodine concentration was 146 (104-180) µg/L. As for the knowledge of iodine nutrition, only 37.6% considered that a pregnant woman needs more dietary iodine than a non pregnant woman, while 43.6% recognized that the lack of iodine can cause mental retardation in children. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of thyroid test function abnormalities was low in this population and the median UIC indicates adequate iodine intake. We also found a poor knowledge about the importance iodine nutrition in the studied population.