Multidisciplinary study of the health and nutritional status of persons living in households at risk of poverty with children in Germany (MEGA_kids): Study design and methods.

Background: In Germany, the nutritional situation of adults and children living in households at risk of poverty has been insufficiently studied so far. Aim: The aim of the mixed-methods study MEGA_kids is to gain a deeper understanding of the nutritional situation including socioeconomic, behavioral, and attitudinal factors and health characteristics among persons living in families at risk of poverty. Method: MEGA_kids is a mixed-methods cross-sectional study consisting of four modules combining quantitative and qualitative methods. The first module (A) applies self-administered questionnaires to assess the individual's diet, household food insecurity, and several other factors among adults and children of 500 households. Cash receipts are used to assess household's food expenses. For the second module (B), a semistructured interview guide is used to identify factors influencing food security and nutritional quality from the perspective of a subsample of module A (n = 20). The third module (C) applies the participatory World Café technique to explore experiences and generate ideas for tailored support measures for a healthy diet from the perspective of 40 parents participating in module A. Finally, the fourth module (D) investigates the knowledge and usage of existing nutrition-related preventive measures among 200 parents at risk of poverty by using an online questionnaire. Conclusion: By providing a comprehensive picture of nutritional aspects of families living at risk of poverty, MEGA_kids will guide officials to target and prioritize public health nutrition measures, inform policy makers to implement and improve healthy policies and, finally, identify research gaps to be prioritized.

Visual attention towards food during unplanned purchases - A pilot study using mobile eye tracking technology.

This pilot study aims to investigate the relationships between consumers' weight status, energy density of food and visual attention towards food during unplanned purchase behavior in a real-world environment. After more than a decade of intensive experimental eye tracking research on food perception, this pilot study attempts to link experimental and field research in this area. Shopping trips of participants with different weight status were recorded with mobile eye tracking devices and their unplanned purchase behavior was identified and analyzed. Different eye movement measurements for initial orientation and maintained attention were analyzed. Differences in visual attention caused by energy density of food were found. There was a tendency across all participants to look at low energy density food longer and more often.

Head-to-Head Linked Double Calix[4]arenes: Convenient Synthesis and Complexation Properties.

Combination of calix[4]arenes functionalized at the upper rim at the 5- and 17-positions with amino and formyl groups, respectively, gives a new series of "head-to-head" linked double calix[4]arenes in nearly quantitative yield. The X-ray structure of a modified double calix[4]arene is reported. The novel, highly preorganized receptor molecules complex silver(I) ions (K(ass) = 9.5 x 10(5) M(-)(1) in CDCl(3)); the selectivity of complexation was studied by supported liquid membrane transport experiments and chemically modified field effect transistor measurements.