Consumer preferences for the color of unprocessed animal foods.

Consumer choices for food products are often based on appearance; one important aspect being product color. We systematically review the literature on consumer preferences for the color of raw beef, pork, poultry, bee honey, cow milk, and chicken eggs to inform future food technology and marketing research; a total of 40 studies were identified. Consumer preferences for pork color vary widely globally and can depend on other demographic factors. A trend toward light and bright beef was observed in six out of eight studies. A pink color was preferred in chicken by consumers in Northern Ireland and Brazil; muscle color uniformity was also related to higher acceptance. Contrarily, a diverse selection of honey colors is preferred; dark golden, yellow, and amber products were liked by consumers across the globe. One study observed a preference for white (over yellowish) milk. Worldwide, white and brown eggshells are preferred nearly equally with considerable differences between continents and regions. Our review highlights the heterogeneity of color preferences for animal products, worldwide; research methods should focus on quantifying colors associated with preferences so that food producers can accurately market their diverse products in regions with corresponding color preferences.

Senior alert: a quality registry to support a standardized, structured, and systematic preventive care process for older adults.

The average life expectancy and the proportion of the elderly in the Western countries are increasing. The care processes used for the elderly are known to differ between the care providers in Sweden. Accordingly, the need to develop a system to support the processes in order to attain a standardized, structured, and systematic approach to improve preventive care processes for the elderly has been called for. The County Council of Jönköping developed a national Web-based quality registry, Senior Alert, with a focus on the following areas: falls, pressure ulcers, malnutrition, and oral health. The patients are evaluated using validated risk assessment instruments, and the care is planned, executed, evaluated. The registry supports the users to work with preventive care systematically and in a standardized way and provides feedback to the care providers on their preventive care processes. The registry helps the caregivers fulfill the preventive care according to the best available clinical knowledge and practice. The registry also provides the government and health care politicians with data for setting aims for elderly care. The registry is used in 90% of the municipalities and county councils throughout the country. The total number of risk assessments completed from 2009 to 2014 exceeded 1 000 000.

What makes emergency department patients reduce their alcohol consumption?--a computer-based intervention study in Sweden.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the effectiveness of a computerized emergency department intervention for alcohol consumption and identifies explanation factors associated with reduced alcohol consumption from risk to non-risk drinking. METHODS: Patients aged 18-69 years registered at the ED triage answered alcohol-related questions on a touch-screen computer. Follow-up data were collected by means of a postal questionnaire that was mailed to the patients 6 months after their ED visit. RESULTS: There were four independent explanations for reduced alcohol consumption: being motivated to reduce alcohol consumption at baseline, influenced by just visiting the emergency department, considering the alcohol-related feedback information and impact from a health care provider. 339 patients could be followed up and of these were 97 categorized as risk drinkers at baseline and 45 became non-risk drinker 6 month later. CONCLUSIONS: Being motivated to reduce alcohol consumption at baseline, influenced by just visiting the emergency department, considering the alcohol-related feedback information and impact from a health care provider were predictors for change from risk to non-risk drinking 6 months later.

Acute alcohol consumption and motivation to reduce drinking among injured patients in a Swedish emergency department.

Injuries constitute a major public health problem. Millions of people are injured each year, and acute drinking is a well-known risk factor for injuries. Research suggests that acknowledgment of alcohol as a factor in an injury enhances willingness to change drinking behavior, possibly because the patient becomes aware of the negative consequences of their drinking. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of acute alcohol consumption (drinking before the event) among injury patients and to examine the importance of factors potentially associated with motivation to reduce alcohol consumption among these patients. All patients aged 18-69 years were requested to answer alcohol-related questions on a touchscreen computer. Fifteen percent of injured patients were categorized as acute drinkers, and of these, 64% reported that their injury was connected to alcohol. There were significant differences for all sociodemographic and drinking characteristics between acute drinkers and nonacute drinkers. Acute drinkers were categorized as risky drinkers to a much higher extent than nonacute drinkers. Acute drinkers had a considerably higher average weekly alcohol consumption and engaged far more frequently in heavy episodic drinking than nonacute drinkers. Acute drinkers were motivated to reduce their alcohol intake to a greater extent than nonacute drinkers; 51% were in the action, preparation, and contemplation stages, compared with 19% of the nonacute drinkers. Acute drinkers had considerably more detrimental alcohol consumption than nonacute drinkers, and the acute drinkers were more motivated to reduce their drinking than the nonacute drinkers.

Reach and effectiveness of a computer-based alcohol intervention in a Swedish emergency room.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates a computerized alcohol intervention implemented in a Swedish emergency department (ED) with regard to the effectiveness of two different types of tailored brief feedback on patients' drinking patterns and the reach of the intervention. METHODS: The study was a prospective, randomized controlled trial of ED patients. The designated target population was the ED population aged 18-69 years who registered at the triage room before receiving care. Patients who were categorized as risky drinkers and completed the computerized test were randomized to either a long or a short feedback. The feedback was tailored on the basis of the individual patient's responses to questions on their drinking patterns. RESULTS: The computerized intervention reached 41% of the target population. Those who completed the computerized test and received the feedback were younger than those who did not receive the intervention. Among those who could be followed up, the feedback was effective in reducing the patient's weekly alcohol consumption and the number of heavy episodic drinking occasions. The long feedback was slightly more effective than the short feedback, but the differences were not statistically significant.

Alcohol consumption and motivation to reduce drinking among emergency care patients in Sweden.

This study compares the alcohol consumption and motivation to reduce drinking among injured and non injured patients in a Swedish emergency department (ED). Patients aged 18-69 registered at the ED triage room were requested to answer alcohol-related questions on a touch-screen computer. Injury patients drank alcohol significantly more often than patients without injuries and in a significantly higher typical quantity than non-injury patients, yielding a significantly larger average weekly consumption. However, there were no significant differences between injury and non-injury patients with regard to heavy episodic drinking. As a consequence of injury patients being younger and more often male in comparison with non-injury patients nearly all differences between the two patient groups disappeared when controlling for age and sex. There were no significant differences in motivation to reduce drinking between injury and non-injury patients. There were small differences in the drinking variables and motivation to reduce drinking between injury patients and non-injury patients.