Experimental research suggests that passive flavor transfer from maternal diet to the infant via amniotic fluid and breastmilk may improve infant vegetable intake. This secondary analysis examined ...associations between maternal (prenatal and postnatal) and infant vegetable intake in 696 mothers with eligible dietary data from the U.S. longitudinal Infant Feeding Practices Study II. Adjusted mixed models examined associations between 4 levels of maternal vegetable intake (mean splits of high/low on prenatal and postnatal food frequency questionnaires) and repeated measures of infant vegetable intake frequency (times/day, from monthly surveys). Mothers were on average 29.5 years old, mostly non-Hispanic White (86.2%) and educated (84.0% ≥some college). In base models, mothers with consistently high vegetable intake (vs. consistently low) reported more frequent infant vegetable intake. In multivariable models, infant vegetable intake was significantly more frequent amongst mothers with consistently high prenatal/high postnatal intake (0.9 times/day) versus consistently low intake (0.8 times/day). In this sample, maternal vegetable consumption was associated with frequency of infant vegetable consumption; consistently high vegetable intake across prenatal and postnatal periods was most strongly associated with infant intake. While infant vegetable intake is multifactorial, maternal prenatal and postnatal vegetable intake appeared to have a small but significant influence.
Methods to objectively assess fruit and vegetable (FV) intake in young children are needed in order to support rigorous assessments of policies and interventions. Noninvasive skin carotenoid ...concentration measurements may provide a rapid assessment of toddler carotenoid and carotenoid-rich FV intake.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy-measured skin carotenoid score (SCS) with proxy-reported carotenoid and FV intake in racially and ethnically diverse US toddlers.
This study was a secondary analysis of data obtained from a randomized controlled 10-week study of the effect of an interactive healthy playgroup intervention vs classroom parent education on the diet and physical activity of toddlers. This study collected skin carotenoid and 1-week dietary intake using a 31-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire analyzed by the Nutrient Data System for Research nutrient database. The current study determined dietary predictors of toddler SCS.
Participants were racially and ethnically diverse US toddlers (12 to 36 months) and adult guardian dyads (n = 50) recruited from the community in Houston, TX from fall 2018 to spring 2019.
At baseline and 10 to 12 weeks after baseline, SCS was measured by means of pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy (Veggie Meter, Longevity Link Corporation), guardians reported toddler diet using a food frequency questionnaire, and carotenoid intake was estimated from the food frequency questionnaire responses using a nutrient database.
The relationship between toddler SCS and intake of total and individual carotenoid species and FV servings was tested using generalized linear mixed models, controlling for body mass index-for-age percentiles, group assignment, and age.
SCS was positively and significantly predicted by estimated intakes of total carotenoids (P = .002), β-carotene (P ≤ .001), and lutein and zeaxanthin (P = .003). Reported intakes of α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, and lycopene were not predictors of SCS. SCS was predicted by estimated total FV intake (P = .047) and vegetable intake (P = .006), but not fruit intake (P = .580).
These results showed that reported dietary carotenoid intake is a significant predictor of SCS in an ethnically and racially diverse population of US toddlers. Toddler skin carotenoid measurement holds promise as a rapid, objective, noninvasive biomarker of dietary carotenoid intake.
Most children do not meet daily recommendations for fruit and vegetable intake, and consumption of vegetables remains especially low. Eating habits track from childhood to adulthood hence ...establishing liking and intake of vegetables is important.
To identify the most successful strategies to enhance vegetable intake in preschool children aged 2–5 years.
The research was a systematic review and a meta-analysis of published studies. A comprehensive search strategy was performed using key databases such as Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, EBSCO and CENTRAL. Articles published between 2005–January 2016, specifically with measured vegetable consumption were included.
30 articles and 44 intervention arms were identified for inclusion (n = 4017). Nine dominant intervention strategies emerged to promote vegetable intake in preschool children. These included; choice, pairing (stealth), education, food service, modelling, reward, taste exposure, variety and visual presentation. The meta-analysis revealed that interventions implementing repeated taste exposure had better pooled effects than those which did not. Intake increased with number of taste exposures and intake was greater when vegetables offered were in their plain form rather than paired with a flavor, dip or added energy (e.g. oil). Moreover, intake of vegetables which were unfamiliar/disliked increased more than those which were familiar/liked.
Repeated taste exposure is a simple technique that could be implemented in childcare settings and at home by parents. Health policy could specifically target the use of novel and disliked vegetables in childcare settings with emphasis on a minimum 8–10 exposures.
The systematic review protocol was registered on the PROSPERO (number: CRD42016033984).
This study aimed to objectively evaluate the diet consumed in a workplace cafeteria to group Japanese workers according to vegetables and salt intake and estimate the association of these groups with ...changes in cardiometabolic measurements.
This longitudinal observational study estimated the food and nutrient intake of Japanese workers from data recorded in the cafeteria system of their workplace. The primary outcomes included cardiometabolic measures obtained via regular health check-ups conducted at the workplace. The participants were divided into four groups according to high or low vegetables and salt intake based on their respective medians and the association of each group with cardiometabolic measurement changes was estimated using robust regression with MM-estimation.
A Japanese automobile manufacturing factory.
The study included 1,140 men and women workers with available cafeteria and health check-up data.
An inverse marginal association was observed between changes in triglyceride levels and high vegetables and low salt intake (β: -9.93, 95% confidence interval CI: -20.45, 0.59, p: 0.065) with reference to low vegetables and high salt intake. This association was stronger in participants who used the cafeteria more frequently (>71 days; β: -13.55, 95% CI: -25.51, -1.60, p: 0.027).
The participants in the higher vegetables and lower salt intake group were more likely to exhibit decreased triglyceride levels. These findings encourage using workplace cafeteria meals to promote the health of workers.
Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the characteristics of dinner among preschoolers based on vegetable intake, as part of efforts to promote the intake of vegetables among ...them.Methods: From March to May 2019, 121 preschoolers aged 4–6 participated in a five-day dietary record survey using photographs. We examined their intake of vegetables and nutrients, the types of vegetables, the number of staple foods, main and side dishes, etc., as well as the items consumed as side dishes at dinner time. The preschoolers were categorized into three groups by the 25th and 75th percentiles of vegetable intake, and their dinner was compared.Results: Data of 118 participants with no defects were analyzed. The median (25, 75 percentile) vegetable intake was 54 (39, 74) g/dinner. The high vegetable intake group consumed a diet with a higher proportion of energy, vegetable intake per 1,000 kcal, and salt intake compared to other groups. The high intake group consumed five types of vegetables per dinner and six side dishes per five dinners, which was the highest. The high intake group also consumed raw vegetables, vegetable soups, and simmered vegetables frequently.Conclusions: The characteristics of dinner differed among preschoolers based on the vegetable intake. The high intake group consumed five types of vegetables and at least one side dish per dinner, and raw vegetables, vegetable soups, and simmered vegetables frequently.
The burden of cancer in China is high, and it is expected to further increase. Information on cancers attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is essential in planning preventive measures ...against cancer. We estimated the number and proportion of cancer deaths and cases attributable to ever-smoking, second-hand smoking, alcohol drinking, low fruit/vegetable intake, excess body weight, physical inactivity, and infections in China, using contemporary data from nationally representative surveys and cancer registries.
The number of cancer deaths and cases in 2013 were obtained from the National Central Cancer Registry of China and data on most exposures were obtained from the China National Nutrition and Health Survey 2002 or 2006 and Global Adult Tobacco Smoking 2010. We used a bootstrap simulation method to calculate the number and proportion of cancer deaths and cases attributable to risk factors and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), allowing for uncertainty in data.
Approximately 718 000 (95% CI 702 100–732 200) cancer deaths in men and 283 100 (278 800–288 800) cancer deaths in women were attributable to the studied risk factors, accounting for 52% of all cancer deaths in men and 35% in women. The numbers for incident cancer cases were 952 500 (95% CI 934 200–971 400) in men and 442 700 (437 200–447 900) in women, accounting for 47% of all incident cases in men and 28% in women. The greatest proportions of cancer deaths attributable to risk factors were for smoking (26%), HBV infection (12%), and low fruit/vegetable intake (7%) in men and HBV infection (7%), low fruit/vegetable intake (6%), and second-hand smoking (5%) in women.
Effective public health interventions to eliminate or reduce exposure from these risk factors, notably tobacco control and vaccinations against carcinogenic infections, can have considerable impact on reducing the cancer burden in China.
Fruit and vegetable consumption is low compared to recommendations worldwide. Few studies have investigated intakes of fruit and vegetables and barriers to meeting recommendations in a mixed-method ...design. Moreover, there is a need to better understand differences in these barriers by population subgroups. This study aimed to examine fruit and vegetable intake and barriers to meeting recommendations and differences by sex, age and socio-economic groups. Data on adults from the cross-sectional Greater Bendigo Active Living Census 2014 were used. Participants self-reported intake of fruit and vegetables and completed an open-ended question on barriers to meeting recommended intakes. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine odds of meeting recommended intakes. Leximancer was used for thematic analyses of barriers. A total of 13,788 individuals (54% female, 52.1 (SD 17.7) years) were included in the quantitative analyses. Qualitative data were available for 5649 of these individuals. Only seven percent of participants met recommended intakes for fruit and vegetables. Barriers were lack of time, that guidelines were perceived as unachievable, the wide variety of other foods available and the high cost and limited availability of fresh fruit and vegetables. The most relevant barriers by subgroups were: taste (12%) and lack of appetite (18%) for males and females, respectively; lack of time (26–28%) and lack of appetite (70%) for young to middle aged adults and older adults, respectively and cost (35%) and availability of fresh fruits and vegetables (22%) for rural and disadvantaged groups. Findings have implications for the design of healthy eating strategies, which may benefit from being tailored to key population groups.
•Food Neophobia increased between ages one and two, across cultures analyzed.•Lower Food Neophobia linked to higher vegetable intake in childhood.•Lower Food Neophobia associated with a more varied ...childhood diet.
This study analyzed the evolution of food neophobia (FN) in early childhood across different cultures (Chile, China, and US). FN was measured in mothers and children using maternal reports through a 6-items version of the FN Scale. One hundred and five mothers of 1-year old children completed a survey in two consecutive years, answering questions about demographics, eating habits and FN. According to our results, independently of the country of origin, there is a significant increase in children’s FN between 1 and 2 years of age (p <.001). Moreover, when all the data was analyzed together, mothers showed to be less neophobic than their children at 2 years of age, but not at 1 year of age (p <.001); however, this difference was not consistent across countries (p <.01). Among mothers, FNs differed according to the country of origin, with Californian mothers being the least neophobic (p <.01). Regarding the effect of children’s eating habits on their levels of FN, the results showed that FN varied significantly with vegetable intake (p <.001) and food variety (p <.001), where the children who ate more vegetables and had a more varied diet were less neophobic. Finally, no significant difference in children’s FN was found between genders.
Vegetable intake is below recommended levels among adults served by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
The aim of this study was to determine whether a ...novel, theory-driven, farm-to-WIC intervention to promote vegetable intake showed promise of being successful and is therefore appropriate for efficacy testing.
From June 2019 to January 2020, the intervention was piloted in three WIC agency sites (one randomized to the intervention study group and two to the control group) selected based on similarity in size and the demographics of participants served.
Recruited between June 3, 2019 and August 1, 2019, participants were 297 primarily Hispanic adults served by a large WIC agency located in a densely populated urban area in New Jersey (160 were enrolled at the intervention site and 137 at control sites).
The intervention combined behaviorally focused instruction and handouts with the introduction of a WIC-based farmers’ market, field trips to an area farmers’ market, telephone coaching and support before and after trips, and recipe demonstrations and tastings.
The primary outcomes were vegetable intake (measured objectively using dermal carotenoids as a biomarker of intake and via self-report) and the redemption of vouchers provided through the WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) for fruit and vegetable purchases at farmers’ markets (objectively assessed using data provided by WIC).
Between-group differences in vegetable intake were examined at mid- and post-intervention (3 and 6 months post-baseline, respectively) with linear mixed-effects models adjusted for baseline vegetable intake and covariates. Logistic regression analysis was used to relate FMNP voucher redemption to study group and covariates.
At mid-intervention, objectively measured vegetable intake was higher among participants in the control group as compared with the intervention group; self-reported intake did not differ by group. Post-intervention, objectively measured and self-reported vegetable intake were higher among participants in the intervention group as compared with the control group. Receipt of the intervention was associated with a greater likelihood of FMNP voucher redemption. Voucher redemption rates were 87% in the intervention group and 28% in the control group (odds ratio = 17.39, 95% confidence interval 8.64, 35.02).
Meaningful associations found between the intervention, vegetable intake, and FMNP voucher redemption suggest that the program is appropriate for efficacy testing.
Process Evaluation of a Farm-to-WIC Intervention Di Noia, Jennifer; Monica, Dorothy; Sikorskii, Alla
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,
10/2021, Letnik:
121, Številka:
10
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Despite the promise of farm-to-institution interventions for addressing limited vegetable access as a barrier to intake, programs designed for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, ...Infants, and Children (WIC) are lacking. As such, little is known about the implementation of, and mechanisms of action through which, farm-to-WIC interventions affect vegetable intake and participant satisfaction with such programs.
To examine whether a farm-to-WIC intervention to promote vegetable intake was implemented as intended, differences between participants who received the intervention relative to those in a usual-care control group in intermediate outcomes of vegetable-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, and secondary outcomes of physical activity and weight status; and participant satisfaction with the intervention.
A process evaluation encompassing descriptive and comparative analyses of implementation fidelity logs and survey data collected as part of a pilot study was conducted.
The setting was a large, New Jersey-based, urban WIC agency. Recruited between June 3 and August 1, 2019 through 3 of the agency’s 17 sites (1 intervention and 2 control sites), participants were 297 primarily Hispanic adults (160 enrolled at the intervention site and 137 at control sites).
The intervention combined behaviorally focused instruction and handouts with the introduction of a WIC-based farmers’ market, field trips to an area farmers’ market, telephone coaching and support, and recipe demonstrations and tastings.
Primary outcomes were vegetable intake (measured via self-report and objectively using dermal carotenoids as a biomarker of intake) and the redemption of vouchers provided by WIC for fruit and vegetable purchases at farmers’ markets (measured objectively using data provided by WIC). For the process evaluation, logs were used to document program activities. Vegetable-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, physical activity, and satisfaction with the intervention were assessed with participant questionnaires. Weight status was assessed with direct measures of height and weight. Data were collected at baseline and at mid- and post-intervention (3 and 6 months post-baseline, respectively).
Descriptive statistics were used to characterize implementation fidelity. Associations between intermediate and secondary outcomes and vegetable intake were examined at baseline with Pearson correlations. Post-baseline between-group differences in the outcomes were examined with linear mixed-effects models adjusted for baseline values and covariates. Satisfaction with the intervention was assessed with inferential and thematic analyses.
Post-intervention, measures of vegetable intake were higher in the intervention relative to the control study group. Receipt of the intervention was also associated with a greater likelihood of voucher redemption. Nearly all participants (≥94%) received the intervention as intended at the WIC-based farmers’ market; smaller percentages completed 1 or more planned trips to the area farmers’ market (28%) and telephone coaching and support calls (88%). Although most intermediate and secondary outcomes were associated with measures of vegetable intake at baseline, the variables did not differ between study groups post-intervention. Mean satisfaction ratings were ≥6.8 on a 7-point scale. Recipe demonstrations, learning about vegetables, field trips, and the rapport with staff were liked most about the program. Although adding days and times for field trips was suggested, limited market days and hours of operation limited the ability to do so.
Preliminary data highlight the promise of this well-received intervention. Intermediate outcome findings suggest that other potential intervention mechanisms of action should be considered in future large-scale trials of this program. Broad-scale initiatives are needed to improve access to farmers’ markets in underserved communities.
PDF
