Getting the food list 'right': an approach for the development of nutrition-relevant food lists for household consumption and expenditure surveys.

OBJECTIVE: The present paper aimed to demonstrate how 24 h dietary recall data can be used to generate a nutrition-relevant food list for household consumption and expenditure surveys (HCES) using contribution analysis and stepwise regression. DESIGN: The analysis used data from the 2011/12 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS), which is nationally representative of rural Bangladesh. A total of 325 primary sampling units (PSU=village) were surveyed through a two-stage stratified sampling approach. The household food consumption module used for the analysis consisted of a 24 h open dietary recall in which the female member in charge of preparing and serving food was asked about foods and quantities consumed by the whole household. SETTING: Rural Bangladesh.ParticipantsA total of 6500 households. RESULTS: The original 24 h open dietary recall data in the BIHS were comprised of 288 individual foods that were grouped into ninety-four similar food groups. Contribution analysis and stepwise regression were based on nutrients of public health interest in Bangladesh (energy, protein, fat, Fe, Zn, vitamin A). These steps revealed that a list of fifty-nine food items captures approximately 90 % of the total intake and up to 90 % of the between-person variation for the key nutrients based on the diets of the population. CONCLUSIONS: The study illustrates how 24 h open dietary recall data can be used to generate a country-specific nutrition-relevant food list that could be integrated into an HCES consumption module to enable more accurate and comprehensive household-level food and nutrient analyses.

Vitamin D status among indigenous Mayan (Kekchi) and Afro-Caribe (Garifuna) adolescents from Guatemala: a comparative description between two ethnic groups residing on the Rio Dulce at the Caribbean coast in Izabal Province, Guatemala.

OBJECTIVE: To assess vitamin D status and the influence of risk factors such as skin pigmentation and time spent outdoors on hypovitaminosis D among Guatemalan Kekchi and Garifuna adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, with convenient sampling design. Blood samples, anthropometric and behavioural data were all collected during the dry season. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations were measured by RIA. SETTING: Communities of Rio Dulce and Livingston, Izabal Province, Caribbean coast of Guatemala, with latitude and longitude of 15°49'N and 88°45'W for Livingston and 15°46'N and 88°49'W for Rio Dulce, respectively. SUBJECTS: Eighty-six adolescents, divided evenly by sex and ethnicity, with mean age of 14 years. RESULTS: Mean (sd) 25(OH)D value was 27·8 (7·2) ng/ml for the total group, with 25·8 (5·9) and 29·8 (7·9) ng/ml, respectively, in Kekchis and Garifunas (P=0·01). Use of vitamin D supplementation, clothing practices and sun protection were not statistically different between groups. Skin area exposed on the day of data collection ranged from 20·0 % minimum to 49·4 % maximum, with mean (sd) exposure of 32·0 (8.5) %. With univariate regression analysis, age (P=0·034), sex (P=0·044), ethnicity (P=0·010), time spent outdoors (P=0·006) and percentage skin area exposed (P=0·001) were predictive. However, multivariate analysis indicated that only sex (P=0·034) and percentage skin area exposed (P=0·044) remained as predictors of 25(OH)D. CONCLUSIONS: Despite residing in an optimal geographic location for sunlight exposure, nearly 65 % of study adolescents were either insufficient or deficient in vitamin D. Correction and long-term prevention of this nutritional problem may be instrumental in avoiding adverse effects in adulthood attributed to low 25(OH)D during adolescence.

Identification of Enzymatic Cleavage Products of ß-Carotene-Rich Extracts of Kale and Biofortified Maize.

Provitamin A carotenoids in plant foods provide more than 80% of vitamin A intake for people in developing countries. Therefore, the conversion efficiency of ß-carotene to vitamin A is important, as it determines the effectiveness of plant foods as sources of vitamin A in humans. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of plant food antioxidants such as α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol, γ-tocotrienol and total γ-oryzanol on the cleavage of ß-carotene in vitro. Rat intestinal mucosa post mitochondrial fractions were incubated with ß-carotene-rich extracts of kale and biofortified maize for an hour at 37°C. Rat intestinal mucosa post mitochondrial fractions were also incubated with ß-carotene in the presence of either α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol, γ-tocotrienol or γ-oryzanol for 60 min at 37°C. The ß-carotene cleavage products were extracted and analyzed by an HPLC equipped with a C18 column at 340nm and 450nm. When ß-carotene alone was incubated without intestinal mucosa homogenate (control), no cleavage products were detected. When ß-carotene alone was incubated with intestinal mucosa homogenate, ß-apo-13-carotenone, ß-apo-14-carotenal, retinal, retinol and retinoic acid were formed. However, incubation of ß-carotene with either α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol or α-tocotrienol resulted in a 10 fold inhibition of ß-apo-14-carotenal and ß-apo-13-carotenone formation. Antioxidant rich biofortified maize extract incubated with postmitochondrial fraction produced less ß-apo-13-carotenone compared to the kale extract. These results suggest that antioxidants inhibit the cleavage of ß-carotene and the formation of excentric cleavage products (ß-apo-13-carotenone, ß-apo-14-carotenal).

Estimating the impact of vitamin A-fortified vegetable oil in Bangladesh in the absence of dietary assessment data.

OBJECTIVE: Vitamin A deficiency is a serious health problem in Bangladesh. The 2011-12 Bangladesh Micronutrient Survey found 76·8% of children of pre-school age were vitamin A deficient. In the absence of nationally representative, individual dietary assessment data, we use an alternative--household income and expenditure survey data--to estimate the potential impact of the introduction of vitamin A-fortified vegetable oil in Bangladesh. DESIGN: Items in the household income and expenditure survey were matched to food composition tables to estimate households' usual vitamin A intakes. Then, assuming (i) the intra-household distribution of food is in direct proportion to household members' share of the household's total adult male consumption equivalents, (ii) all vegetable oil that is made from other-than mustard seed and that is purchased is fortifiable and (iii) oil fortification standards are implemented, we modelled the additional vitamin A intake due to the new fortification initiative. SETTING: Nationwide in Bangladesh. SUBJECTS: A weighted sample of 12,240 households comprised of 55,580 individuals. RESULTS: Ninety-nine per cent of the Bangladesh population consumes vegetable oil. The quantities consumed are sufficiently large and, varying little by socio-economic status, are able to provide an important, large-scale impact. At full implementation, vegetable oil fortification will reduce the number of persons with inadequate vitamin A intake from 115 million to 86 million and decrease the prevalence of inadequate vitamin A intake from 80% to 60%. CONCLUSIONS: Vegetable oil is an ideal fortification vehicle in Bangladesh. Its fortification with vitamin A is an important public health intervention.

Assessing alternative industrial fortification portfolios: a Bangladesh case study.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 1.2 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are lost annually in Bangladesh due to deficiencies of vitamin A, iron, and zinc. OBJECTIVE: To provide evidence on the coverage, costs, and cost-effectiveness of alternative fortification interventions to inform nutrition policy-making in Bangladesh. METHODS: Combining the 2005 Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey with a Bangladesh food composition table, apparent intakes of energy, vitamin A, iron, and zinc, and the coverage and apparent consumption levels of fortifiable vegetable oil and wheat flour are estimated. Assuming that fortification levels are those established in official regulations, the costs and cost-effectiveness of the two vehicles are assessed independently and as a two-vehicle portfolio. RESULTS: Vegetable oil has a coverage rate of 76% and is estimated to reduce the prevalence of inadequate vitamin A intake from 83% to 64%. The coverage of wheat flour is high (65%), but the small quantities consumed result in small reductions in the prevalence of inadequate intakes: 1.5 percentage points for iron, less than 1 for zinc, and 2 for vitamin A, while reducing average Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) gaps by 8%, 9%, and 15%, respectively. The most cost-effective 10-micronutrient wheat flour formulation costs US $1.91 million annually, saving 129,212 DALYs at a unit cost of US $14.75. Fortifying vegetable oil would cost US $1.27 million annually, saving 406,877 DALYs at an average cost of US $3.25. Sensitivity analyses explore various permutations of the wheat flour formulation. Divisional variations in coverage, cost, and impact are examined. CONCLUSIONS: Vegetable oil fortification is the most cost-effective of the three portfolios analyzed, but all three are very cost-effective options for Bangladesh.

The Nutritional Contribution of Foods and Beverages Provided by Government-Sponsored Day Care Centers in Guatemala.

BACKGROUND: Meals served at government-run day care centers must be nutritionally adequate to ensure good health and proper development of preschool-aged children. They can provide a controlled opportunity to complement the daily diet of children in vulnerable populations. OBJECTIVE: To determine the nutrient adequacy and leading food sources of nutrients provided by the diet served in government-sponsored day care centers. METHODS: Estimated daily energy and nutrient intakes of a theoretical 40-day day care center menu were calculated, and the nutrient adequacy was assessed. Nutrient densities and critical nutrient densities of the menu were computed to identify nutrient inadequacies. Furthermore, main sources of nutrients were identified, and energy and nutrient distributions were examined by meal time. RESULTS: The menu provides approximately 90% of daily energy requirement and more than 100% of Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs), with the exception of vitamin D and calcium. Sugar was the first leading source of energy, whereas milk was the first leading contributor of vitamin D. CONCLUSION: Within an environment of budgetary constraints, the Guatemalan government developed and advocated an exemplary menu offering for children in the vulnerable preschool period. We have demonstrated that, if prepared and served as planned, the items from the official, standard menu would supply most of the nutrients needed. High vitamin A intake related to the mandated national fortification program is a potential problem. From the analysis, it was found that vitamin D emerges as the most prominent candidate for a problem nutrient of deficient intake.

Household-level dietary quality indicator for countries in nutritional transition: application to vulnerable communities in El Salvador.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a household-level diet quality indicator (HDQI) using the Salvadorian dietary guidelines to assess the dietary quality of households in vulnerable communities in El Salvador. DESIGN: The Salvadorian dietary guidelines were reviewed and eighteen HDQI components were identified (nine foods and nine nutrients). The components were evaluated using a proportional scoring system from 0 to 1, penalizing over- and under-consumption, where appropriate. The HDQI was validated in consultations with experts in El Salvador and by statistical analyses of the study sample data. Dietary variety and energy, nutrient and food intakes were compared among households above and below the median HDQI score using Student's t test. SETTING: Vulnerable, border communities in El Salvador. SUBJECTS: Households (n 140) provided food consumption information using an FFQ and sociodemographic data. RESULTS: The mean HDQI score was 63·5, ranging from 43·6 to 90·0. The indicator showed a positive, significant association with the dietary variety components. The statistical associations of the indicator with the energy and nutrient components were as expected. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the indicator's demonstrated face validity and the results of the expert consultations, the indicator is suggested as a good measure of diet quality for households in El Salvador.

Maternal health and health-seeking behaviors among indigenous Mam mothers from Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain background information about maternal health and health-seeking behaviors among indigenous mothers living in rural Mam-Mayan communities of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of 100 pregnant and breastfeeding women in four communities was performed to determine prevalence and determinants of service utilization. RESULTS: Extreme poverty, poor education, and poor access to basic resources were prevalent. Out of 100 women 14-41 years old, 33% did not use the formal health care sector for antenatal care; the majority consulted a traditional birth attendant. Only 13% delivered in a hospital. Lower socioeconomic status, lack of fluency in Spanish, and no ownership of a motorized vehicle were associated with the highest likelihood of poor utilization of services. CONCLUSIONS: A variety of factors affect utilization of maternal health services by indigenous women in rural Quetzaltenango. These include socioeconomic disparities, ethnic and linguistic differences, and poor access to basic resources. The current reproductive needs of women should be addressed to improve their health and increase their chance of having healthy children.

Policy implications of using a household consumption and expenditures survey versus an observed-weighed food record survey to design a food fortification program.

BACKGROUND: Observed-Weighed Food Record Surveys (OWFR) are regarded as the most precise dietary assessment methodology, despite their recognized shortcomings, which include limited availability, high cost, small samples with uncertain external validity that rarely include all household members, Hawthorne effects, and using only 1 or 2 days to identify "usual intake." Although Household Consumption and Expenditures Surveys (HCES) also have significant limitations, they are increasingly being used to inform nutrition policy OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in fortification simulations based on OWFR and HCES from Bangladesh. METHODS: The pre- and postfortification nutrient intake levels from the two surveys were compared. RESULTS: The total population-based rank orderings of oil, wheat flour, and sugar coverage were identical for the two surveys. OWFR found differences in women's and children's coverage rates and average quantities consumed for all three foods that were not detected by HCES. Guided by the Food Fortification Formulator, we found that these differences did not result in differences in recommended fortification levels. Differences were found, however, in estimated impacts: although both surveys found that oil would be effective in reducing the prevalence of inadequate vitamin A intake among both subpopulations, only OWFR also found that sugar and wheat flour fortification would significantly reduce inadequate vitamin A intake among children. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the less precise measure of food consumption from HCES, the two surveys provide similar guidance for designing a fortification program. The external validity of these findings is limited. With relatively minor modifications, the precision of HCES in dietary assessment and the use ofHCES in fortification programming could be strengthened.

Identifying zambia's industrial fortification options: toward overcoming the food and nutrition information gap-induced impasse.

BACKGROUND: Zambia was a pioneer when it started fortifying sugar with vitamin A in 1998. Micronutrient deficiencies-especially among young children-have changed little over the past decade. In 2008 an initiative to introduce fortified flours was halted when last-hour questions about the program could not be answered. OBJECTIVE: To provide information about the need, coverage, and impact of alternative fortification portfolio options to help Zambia overcome its fortification impasse. METHODS: Using household data from the 2006 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey, apparent micronutrient intake levels and apparent consumption levels of sugar, vegetable oil, wheat flour and maize meal were estimated. The household level data were used to estimate individual intakes by assuming that food was distributed among household members in direct proportion to their share of the household's total adult consumption equivalent. Intake adequacy was measured relative to age- and gender-specific Estimated Average Requirements. Combining information on the industrial structure and estimated fortifiable quantities consumed of each food, and assuming the nutrient content is that specified in official regulations, simulations were conducted of the coverage and impact of 14 fortification portfolios. RESULTS: Maize, the most commonly consumed food, is consumed in a fortifiable form by only 23% of the population. Sugar fortification is estimated to have reduced inadequate intake of vitamin A from 87% to 79%. Introducing oil fortification could reduce the prevalence of inadequate vitamin A intake to 61%, and fortifying roller and breakfast maize meal would further reduce it to 57%, and reduce inadequate iron and zinc intakes by 2.2% and 5.5%, respectively. Implementing WHO flour guidelines would triple the potential iron and zinc impacts. CONCLUSION: Analysis of LCMS apparent consumption data have helped address important information gaps and provide better understanding of the coverage and impacts of alternative fortification portfolios.

Assessing Zambia's industrial fortification options: getting beyond changes in prevalence and cost-effectiveness.

Background. Since fortification of sugar with vitamin A was mandated in 1998, Zambia's fortification program has not changed, while the country remains plagued by high rates ofmicronutrient deficiencies. Objective. To provide evidence-based fortification options with the hope of reinvigorating the Zambian fortification program. Methods. Zambia's 2006 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey is used to estimate the apparent intakes of vitamin A, iron, and zinc, as well as the apparent consumption levels and coverage of four fortification vehicles. Fourteen alternativefoodfortification portfolios are modeled, and their costs, impacts, average cost-effectiveness, and incremental cost-effectiveness are calculated using three alternative impact measures. Results. Alternative impact measures result in different rank orderings of the portfolios. The most cost-effective portfolio is vegetable oil, which has a cost per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) saved ranging from 12% to 25% of that of sugar, depending on the impact measure used. The public health impact of fortified vegetable oil, however, is relatively modest. Additional criteria beyond cost-effectiveness are introduced and used to rank order the portfolios. The size of the public health impact, the total cost, and the incremental cost-effectiveness of phasing in multiple vehicle portfolios over time are analyzed. Conclusions. Assessing fortification portfolios by measuring changes in the prevalence of inadequate intakes underestimates impact. A more sensitive measure, which also takes into account change in the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) gap, is provided by a dose-response-based approach to estimating the number ofDALYs saved. There exist highly cost-effective fortification intervention portfolios with substantial public health impacts and variable price tags that could help improve Zambians' nutrition status.

Acculturation and gestational weight gain in a predominantly Puerto Rican population.

BACKGROUND: Identifying risk factors that affect excess weight gain during pregnancy is critical, especially among women who are at a higher risk for obesity. The goal of this study was to determine if acculturation, a possible risk factor, was associated with gestational weight gain in a predominantly Puerto Rican population. METHODS: We utilized data from Proyecto Buena Salud, a prospective cohort study of Hispanic women in Western Massachusetts, United States. Height, weight and gestational age were abstracted from medical records among participants with full-term pregnancies (n=952). Gestational weight gain was calculated as the difference between delivery and prepregnancy weight. Acculturation (measured via a psychological acculturation scale, generation in the US, place of birth and spoken language preference) was assessed in early pregnancy. RESULTS: Adjusting for age, parity, perceived stress, gestational age, and prepregnancy weight, women who had at least one parent born in Puerto Rico/Dominican Republic (PR/DR) and both grandparents born in PR/DR had a significantly higher mean total gestational weight gain (0.9 kg for at least one parent born in PR/DR and 2.2 kg for grandparents born in PR/DR) and rate of weight gain (0.03 kg/wk for at least one parent born in PR/DR and 0.06 kg/wk for grandparents born in PR/DR) vs. women who were of PR/DR born. Similarly, women born in the US had significantly higher mean total gestational weight gain (1.0 kg) and rate of weight gain (0.03 kg/wk) vs. women who were PR/ DR born. Spoken language preference and psychological acculturation were not significantly associated with total or rate of pregnancy weight gain. CONCLUSION: We found that psychological acculturation was not associated with gestational weight gain while place of birth and higher generation in the US were significantly associated with higher gestational weight gain. We interpret these findings to suggest the potential importance of the US "obesogenic" environment in influencing unhealthy pregnancy weight gains over specific aspects of psychological acculturation.

Household Consumption and Expenditures Surveys (HCES): a primer for food and nutrition analysts in low- and middle-income countries.

BACKGROUND: The dearth of 24-hour recall and observed-weighed food record data--what most nutritionists regard as the gold standard source of food consumption data-has long been an obstacle to evidence-based food and nutrition policy. There have been a steadily growing number of studies using household food acquisition and consumption data from a variety of multipurpose, nationally representative household surveys as a proxy measure to overcome this fundamental information gap. OBJECTIVE: To describe the key characteristics of these increasingly available Household Consumption and Expenditures Surveys (HCES) in order to help familiarize food and nutrition analysts with the strengths and shortcomings of these data and thus encourage their use in low- and middle-income countries; and to identify common shortcomings that can be readily addressed in the near term in a country-by-country approach, as new HCES are fielded, thereby beginning a process of improving the potential of these surveys as sources of useful data for better understanding food- and nutrition-related issues. METHODS: Common characteristics of key food and nutrition information that is available in HCES and some basic common steps in processing HCES data for food and nutrition analyses are described. RESULTS: The common characteristics of these surveys are documented, and their usefulness in addressing major food and nutrition issues, as well as their shortcomings, is demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: Despite their limitations, the use of HCES data constitutes a generally unexploited opportunity to address the food consumption information gap by using survey data that most countries are already routinely collecting.

Estimating micronutrient intakes from Household Consumption and Expenditures Surveys (HCES): an example from Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Globally, there is a scarcity of national food consumption data that could help to assess food patterns and nutrient intakes of population groups. Estimates of food consumption patterns and apparent intakes of energy and nutrients could be obtained from national Household Consumption and Expenditures Surveys (HCES). OBJECTIVE: To use the HCES conducted in Bangladesh in 2005 (HIES2005) to estimate apparent intakes of vitamin A, iron, and zinc. METHODS: Food acquisition data from HIES2005, which surveyed 10,080 households, were transformed into standard measurement units. Intrahousehold food and nutrient distribution was estimated with Adult Male Equivalent (AME) units. Adequacy of intake was assessed by comparing individual nutrient intakes with requirements and was then aggregated by households. RESULTS: The weighted mean energy intake for the population was 2,151 kcal/person/day, with a range among divisions from 1,950 in Barisal to 2,195 in Dhaka division. The apparent intakes of vitamin A and iron were insufficient to satisfy the recommended intakes for more than 80% of the population in Bangladesh, while apparent intakes of zinc, adjusted by bioavailability, satisfied the requirements of approximately 60% of the population. CONCLUSIONS: Using the HIES2005, we were able to produce estimates of apparent food consumption and intakes of some key micronutrients for the Bangladeshi population and observed wide differences among divisions. However, the methodological approaches reported here, although feasible and promising, need to be validated with other dietary intake methods.

Indian social safety net programs as platforms for introducing wheat flour fortification: a case study of Gujarat, India.

BACKGROUND: Micronutrient deficiencies exact an enormous health burden on India. The release of the National Family Health Survey results--showing the relatively wealthy state of Gujarat having deficiency levels exceeding national averages--prompted Gujarat officials to introduce fortified wheat flour in their social safety net programs (SSNPs). OBJECTIVE: To provide a case study of the introduction of fortified wheat flour in Gujarat's Public Distribution System (PDS), Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) Programme to assess the coverage, costs, impact, and cost-effectiveness of the initiative. METHODS: India's 2004/05 National Sample Survey data were used to identify beneficiaries of each of Gujarat's three SSNPs and to estimate usual intake levels of vitamin A, iron, and zinc. Comparing age- and sex-specific usual intakes to Estimated Average Requirements, the proportion of the population with inadequate intakes was estimated. Postfortification intake levels and reductions in inadequate intake were estimated. The incremental cost of fortifying wheat flour and the cost-effectiveness of each program were estimated. RESULTS: When each program was assessed independently, the proportion of the population with inadequate vitamin A intakes was reduced by 34% and 74% among MDM and ICDS beneficiaries, respectively. Both programs effectively eliminated inadequate intakes of both iron and zinc. Among PDS beneficiaries, the proportion with inadequate iron intakes was reduced by 94%. CONCLUSIONS. Gujarat's substitution of fortified wheat flour for wheat grain is dramatically increasing the intake of micronutrients among its SSNP beneficiaries. The incremental cost of introducing fortification in each of the programs is low, and, according to World Health Organization criteria, each program is "highly cost-effective." The introduction of similar reforms throughout India would largely eliminate the inadequate iron intake among persons participating in any of the three SSNPs and would have a significant impact on the global prevalence rate of inadequate iron intake.

Relationship between past food deprivation and current dietary practices and weight status among Cambodian refugee women in Lowell, MA.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated Cambodian refugee women's past food experiences and the relationship between those experiences and current food beliefs, dietary practices, and weight status. METHODS: Focus group participants (n = 11) described past food experiences and current health-related food beliefs and behaviors. We randomly selected survey participants (n = 133) from a comprehensive list of Cambodian households in Lowell, Massachusetts. We collected height, weight, 24-hour dietary recall, food beliefs, past food experience, and demographic information. We constructed a measure of past food deprivation from focus group and survey responses. We analyzed data with multivariate logistic and linear regression models. RESULTS: Participants experienced severe past food deprivation and insecurity. Those with higher past food-deprivation scores were more likely to currently report eating meat with fat (odds ratio [OR] = 1.14 for every point increase on the 9-to-27-point food-deprivation measure), and to be overweight or obese by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (OR = 1.28) and World Health Organization (OR = 1.18) standards. CONCLUSIONS: Refugees who experienced extensive food deprivation or insecurity may be more likely to engage in unhealthful eating practices and to be overweight or obese than are those who experienced less-extreme food deprivation or insecurity.

Dietary intakes and food sources of fat and fatty acids in Guatemalan schoolchildren: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Consumption of healthy diets that contribute with adequate amounts of fat and fatty acids is needed for children. Among Guatemalan children, there is little information about fat intakes. Therefore, the present study sought to assess intakes of dietary fats and examine food sources of those fats in Guatemalan children. METHODS: The study subjects consisted of a convenience sample of 449 third- and fourth-grade schoolchildren (8-10 y), attending public or private schools in Quetzaltenango City, Guatemala. Dietary data was obtained by means of a single pictorial 24-h record. RESULTS: The percentages of total energy (%E) from total fat, saturated fat (SFA) and monounsaturated fat (MUFA) reached 29%E for total fat and 10%E for each SFA and MUFA, without gender differences. %E from fats in high vs. low-socio economic status (SES) children were significantly higher for boys, but not for girls, for total fat (p = 0.002) and SFA (p < 0.001). Large proportions of the children had low levels of intakes of some fatty acids (FA), particularly for n-3 FA, with >97% of all groups consuming less than 1%E from this fats. Fried eggs, sweet rolls, whole milk and cheese were main sources of total fat and, SFA. Whole milk and sweet bread were important sources of n-3 FA for high- and low-SES boys and girls, respectively. Fried plantain was the main source of n-3 FA for girls in the high-SES group. Fried fish, seafood soup, and shrimp, consumed only by boys in low amounts, were sources of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids, which may explain the low intakes of these nutrients. CONCLUSIONS: alpha-linolenic acid, EPA and DHA were the most limiting fatty acids in diets of Guatemalan schoolchildren, which could be partially explained by the low consumption of sources of these nutrients, particularly fish and seafood (for EPA and DHA). This population will benefit from a higher consumption of culturally acceptable foods that are rich in these limiting nutrients.

Greater consumption of sweetened beverages and added sugars is associated with obesity among US young adults.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study sought to examine the associations of the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and of added sugars with total and abdominal obesity in American adults aged 20-39 years who participated in the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the U.S. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on a sample of 947 adults (aged 20-39 years): 424 non-Hispanic whites, 222 non-Hispanic blacks, and 301 Mexican-Americans. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥30 and abdominal obesity as a waist circumference >102 cm in men or >88 cm in women. The use of sweetened beverages and added sugars was stratified into quartiles of intake. Odds ratios (ORs) for total and abdominal obesity were estimated with logistic regression models. RESULTS: Compared to the lowest intake quartile of sweetened beverages, those with the highest intake had a higher intake of energy, added sugars, and carbohydrates, as well as a lower intake of fiber, orange juice, and low-fat milk. A greater intake of sweetened beverages was associated with a higher risk of total and abdominal obesity (p(trend) <0.02 for both). The adjusted ORs comparing 2 extreme quartiles of sweetened beverages were 2.1 (95% CI 1.2-3.7) for total obesity and 2.0 (95% CI 1.1-3.6) for abdominal obesity. CONCLUSIONS: An increased consumption of sweetened beverages was associated with total and abdominal obesity in US adults aged 20-39 years. Further investigation of the potential role of sweetened beverages and other dietary components, and of the mechanisms by which these intakes contribute to weight gain, is needed to accelerate our efforts to halt or somewhat alleviate the current obesity epidemic facing the American population.

Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding weight gain during pregnancy among Hispanic women.

Pregnancy weight gain may be a risk factor for the development of obesity highlighting the importance of identifying psychosocial risk factors for pregnancy weight gain. The goal of this qualitative pilot study was to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding weight gain during pregnancy among predominantly Puerto Rican women, a group with higher rates of obesity as compared to non-Hispanic white women. We conducted four focus groups stratified by level of acculturation and BMI. Women reported receiving advice about pregnancy weight gain predominantly from nutritionists and family members rather than from their physicians. The majority of overweight/obese women reported that they had not received any recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy from physicians. Pregnancy weight gain advice was not consistent with the 1990 Institute of Medicine Guidelines. Overall, attitudes towards weight gain recommendations differed by weight status, whereas feelings and dietary beliefs about weight gain differed according to level of acculturation. Our findings inform behavior change strategies for meeting pregnancy weight gain recommendations.

Concordance with selected population recommendations for cancer prevention among third- and fourth-grade schoolchildren in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

BACKGROUND: The World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research (WCRF/AICR) 1997 recommendations for cancer prevention were meant to apply to children as well as adults. OBJECTIVE: To assess the concordance of behaviors and body composition of urban Guatemalan schoolchildren with the tenets of the WCRF/AICR 1997 recommendations. METHODS: A survey was conducted involving determination of 24-hour consumption of foods and beverages by a pictorial registry and height and weight measurements in 355 third- and fourth-grade schoolchildren in the western highland city of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Based on a previous, exhaustive parsing of the population goal recommendations of the WCRF/AICR 1997 report, 25 subcomponents were identified. Eleven could be evaluated with the survey data collected. Adult population criteria could be applied in seven, whereas four components had unique criteria adapted to this juvenile survey setting. RESULTS: The study sample was concordant on seven components-nutrient adequacy, total variety of foods consumed, plant-based diets, body mass index, vegetable and fruit intake, limitation of red meat consumption, and limitation of total fat consumption, and nonconcordant on four-variety of fruits and vegetables consumed, variety of starchy foods consumed, total intake of starchy foods, and limitation of sugar consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Educational and public health actions need to be conceived and implemented to further improve the rate of concordance of these 11 components with the WCRF/AICR 1997 recommendations for cancer prevention.