Ethnic differences in dietary intakes, physical activity, and energy expenditure in middle-aged, premenopausal women: the Healthy Transitions Study. (65/918)

BACKGROUND: Menopause is a time of increased risk of obesity in women. The effect of menopause in African American women, in whom obesity is already highly prevalent, is unknown. OBJECTIVE: We compared dietary intakes and energy expenditure (EE) between middle-aged, premenopausal African American and white women participating in a longitudinal study of the menopausal transition. DESIGN: Dietary intakes by food record, EE by triaxial accelerometer, physical activity by self-report, and body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were compared in 97 white and 52 African American women. Twenty-four-hour and sleeping EE were measured by whole-room indirect calorimetry in 56 women. RESULTS: Sleeping EE (adjusted for lean and fat mass) was lower in African American than in white women (5749 +/- 155 compared with 6176 +/- 75 kJ/d; P = 0.02); however, there was no significant difference in 24-h EE between groups. Reported leisure activity over the course of a week was less in African American than in white women (556 +/- 155 compared with 1079 +/- 100 kJ/d; P = 0.02), as were the daily hours spent standing and climbing stairs. Dietary intakes of protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, and several fatty acids were significantly less in African Americans, whereas there were no observed ethnic differences in intakes of fat or carbohydrate. Body fat within the whole group was positively correlated with total, saturated, and monounsaturated fat intakes and inversely associated with fiber and calcium intakes. Fiber was the strongest single predictor of fatness. CONCLUSION: Ethnic differences in EE and the intake of certain nutrients may influence the effect of menopausal transition on obesity in African American women.  (+info)

Postnatal iron status of Hong Kong Chinese women in a longitudinal study of maternal nutrition. (66/918)

OBJECTIVE: To report postnatal iron nutritional status of Hong Kong Chinese women during the first 6 months postpartum. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: A longitudinal study examining postnatal calcium and iron status of Hong Kong Chinese breastfeeding and formula-feeding women was conducted during 1998. Postpartum women aged 20-40 y, with no bone or blood disorders were recruited and interviewed at 0 (baseline), 2, 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months postpartum. Dietary intake was assessed by a 3 day dietary record and cross checked by a 24 h recall. Complete blood count and serum ferritin level were measured to assess anaemia and iron status. In this report, subjects were divided into an anaemic group (haemoglobin level < 10 g/dl) and a non-anaemic group (haemoglobin level > or = 10 g/dl) according to baseline haemoglobin levels. RESULTS: At baseline, 13/47 (27.7%) subjects were anaemic. Two of these 13 anaemic subjects were still anaemic at 3 and 6 months postpartum. Anaemic subjects showed significantly (P < 0.01) greater amounts of blood loss and a higher rate of primary postpartum haemorrhage than the non-anaemic subjects. Daily food intake and dietary nutrient intake did not differ significantly between the two groups. During the first 6 weeks postpartum, subjects in both groups consumed more poultry and egg, and comparable amounts of meat, compared with women in the Hong Kong general population. Iron and vitamin C intakes for the majority of subjects reached 60% of the US Recommended Daily Allowances. Regression analysis suggested that the rate of change in haemoglobin level in the first 6 weeks postpartum was positively correlated with baseline MCV level and serum ferritin level, but negatively correlated with baseline haemoglobin level. CONCLUSIONS: Blood loss at delivery is an important factor for postpartum anaemia. Postnatal recovery of iron status of this group of women appeared to be more related to physiological factors than to dietary factors. The role of diet as well as other physiological changes in postpartum women requires further investigation. Finding ways to minimise blood loss at delivery could be the most practical strategy to reduce the rate of postpartum anaemia. SPONSORSHIP: CSM was supported by a research studentship from the Research Grants Council, Hong Kong.  (+info)

Iron status of premenopausal women in two regions of Bangladesh: prevalence of deficiency in high and low socio-economic groups. (67/918)

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess iron status in women of different physiological status of two socio-economic groups in Bangladesh. DESIGN: Cross sectional study, using 3-day food record and blood haemoglobin, serum iron, serum ferritin concentrations. SETTING: Two regions of Bangladesh. The Dhaka city area and west region of Nandail, Mymensingh. SUBJECTS: Women aged 16-40 y. The low socio-economic group (group L, n=101) consisted of rural women with precarious income levels. The high socio-economic group (group H, n=90) consisted of women with high income and educational levels. The groups were composed of three sub-groups (non-pregnant non-lactating=1, pregnant = 2 and lactating = 3). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the corresponding sub-groups of the two socio-economic groups in dietary intake of iron. In all sub-groups, the intake of iron was much higher than the RDA level and mainly based on non-haem iron. Blood haemoglobin (B-Hb) concentration (P=0.000), serum iron concentration (P=0.005) and serum ferritin (SF) concentration (P=0.000) were affected by socio-economic status. Physiological status (PS) influenced the B-Hb concentration (P=0.000). Prevalence of anaemia ranged from 63 to 70% in group L and 27 to 66% in group H, respectively. The prevalence of empty iron store (SF concentration<12 microg/l) ranged from 35 to 59% in group L and 15 to 32% in group H, respectively. The prevalence of anaemia and iron deficiency (70 and 35% for sub-group L2; 66 and 32% for sub-group H2, respectively) were similar in the pregnant subjects of the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical iron deficiency was common in women of low socio-economic status. The pregnant subjects in the two groups was similar as regards iron status. SPONSORSHIP: The study was supported by the Academy of Finland, University of Helsinki and NorFa, Norway.  (+info)

Effects of different nutrient intakes on daytime triacylglycerolemia in healthy, normolipemic, free-living men. (68/918)

BACKGROUND: Postprandial studies with standardized mixed meals have shown that ingestion of high-carbohydrate diets is associated with elevated plasma triacylglycerol (TG) concentrations. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the effects of different nutritional components on daytime triacylglycerolemia in 58 healthy, free-living, normolipemic men. DESIGN: Capillary TG (TGc) was self-measured at 6 fixed time points over 3 d. Daytime TGc profiles were calculated as areas under the curve (AUCs) for absolute and incremental changes in TGc concentrations (TGc-AUC and DeltaTGc-AUC, respectively). Food intake was recorded in a diary. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SD) fasting TGc concentration, TGc-AUC, and DeltaTGc-AUC were 1.20 +/- 0.41 mmol/L, 24.1 +/- 6.9 mmol x h/L, and 7.3 +/- 4.5 mmol x h/L, respectively. Mean total energy intake was 10881 +/- 2536 kJ/d. Total intakes of fat, carbohydrate, and protein were 95 +/- 25 (33% of energy), 304 +/- 69 (48% of energy), and 101 +/- 27 (16% of energy) g/d, respectively. Fasting TGc concentrations and TGc-AUC were not related to dietary intake. The mean DeltaTGc-AUC was significantly related to total carbohydrate (r = 0.38, P < 0.005), protein (r = 0.29, P < 0.05), and energy (r = 0.28, P < 0.05) intakes. Fat intake (as a % of energy) was negatively associated with the mean DeltaTGc-AUC (r = -0.30, P < 0.05). When the study group was subdivided into tertiles on the basis of fat intake (27.2%, 33.5%, and 39.1% of energy, respectively), carbohydrate intake was 50.9%, 48.1%, and 44.6% of energy, respectively. DeltaTGc-AUC was significantly lower at the highest tertile of fat intake (4.8 +/- 4.3 mmol x h/L) than at the lowest (8.2 +/- 4.0 mmol x h/L) and intermediate (8.9 +/- 4.3 mmol x h/L) tertiles (P < 0.05 for each). CONCLUSION: DeltaTGc-AUC is associated with the carbohydrate content of the diet in free-living men.  (+info)

Use of biological markers to validate self-reported dietary intake in a random sample of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer United Kingdom Norfolk cohort. (69/918)

BACKGROUND: The validity of dietary assessment methods should be established before diet-disease associations are reported. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to validate a 7-d food diary and a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) against independent biomarkers of intake in urine (nitrogen, potassium, and sodium) and blood (plasma ascorbic acid). DESIGN: A total of 146 healthy middle-aged men and women were recruited from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer UK Norfolk cohort, a free-living cohort of approximately 25000 persons. Over a 9-mo period, urinary nitrogen, potassium, and sodium were estimated from 2-6 complete 24-h urine collections in 134 subjects and plasma ascorbic acid was estimated from 2-3 fasting blood samples in 118 subjects. Subjects completed 2 FFQs and two 7-d food diaries. RESULTS: In men and women combined, correlations between 24-h urinary nitrogen excretion and dietary intake from the 7-d food diary were high (r = 0.57-0.67) compared with those for the FFQ (r = 0.21-0.29). Similarly, correlations between urinary potassium and dietary potassium were higher for the 7-d food diary (r = 0.51-0.55) than for the FFQ (r = 0.32-0.34). There was no overall difference in correlations between plasma ascorbic acid and dietary vitamin C between the 7-d food diary (r = 0.40-0.52) and the FFQ (r = 0.44-0.45). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that, despite increased subject burden, the 7-d food diary provided a better estimate of nitrogen and potassium intakes than did the FFQ in this study population. However, with respect to plasma ascorbic acid, both the FFQ and 7-d food diary provided a similar ranking of subjects according to vitamin C intake.  (+info)

Single measurement of serum phospholipid fatty acid as a biomarker of specific fatty acid intake in middle-aged Japanese men. (70/918)

OBJECTIVE: To assess the utility of serum phospholipid fatty acid (FA) levels as a biochemical indicator of habitual dietary fatty acid intake in Japanese, whose diet is characterized by low fat intake and high intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of marine origin. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighty-seven male volunteers from four public health center districts that were part of the Japan Public Health Center based Prospective Study (JPHC Study) cohort I, were included in this study. Habitual intake of fatty acid was obtained by 7 day weighed dietary records four times (in one area only twice) in 1994--1995. Blood was collected twice, in February and August of the same year, and the composition of FA in serum phospholipid was analyzed by gas chromatography. The correlation coefficient between serum phospholipid FA levels and fatty acid intake was calculated. RESULTS: High correlations were observed for eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are marine origin n-3 PUFA (r=0.75, 0.49, 0.50, respectively). No significant correlation was observed for saturated fatty acid (SFA), although the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), palmitoleic acid and oleic acid intake were moderately correlated (r=0.22, 0.35, respectively). The correlations for EPA, DPA and DHA were similar in both samples collected in February and August. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that in populations with a high and stable over time intake of n-3 PUFA of marine origin, a single measurement of serum phospholipids reflects the ranking of habitual intake of marine origin n-3 PUFA.  (+info)

Food and nutrient intake in a cohort of 8-month-old infants in the south-west of England in 1993. (71/918)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate food and nutrient intakes in 8-month-old infants. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ALSPAC), south-west England. SUBJECTS: A total of 1131 singleton Caucasian infants (82% of those invited) from a 10% random sample of ALSPAC, known as Children in Focus (CIF). METHODS: Diet was assessed using a structured 3-day unweighed dietary record. Food and nutrient intakes were compared with intakes from the 6--9 month age group of a British infant feeding survey, which formed part of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS). Nutrient intakes were compared with dietary reference values (DRV). RESULTS: Intakes of energy and most nutrients were very similar between CIF and NDNS. The main difference was in the type of fat eaten resulting in a higher polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio in CIF (0.34) compared with NDNS (0.21). Other differences included the much lower calcium and iodine intakes in CIF compared with the NDNS. Differences in the proportion of consumers of formula and cow's milk accounted for most of the nutrient differences. Energy intakes were similar to the estimated average requirements (EAR), however, breastfed infants were slightly below and non-breastfed were slightly above the EAR. Mean intakes of zinc and vitamin D were below the Reference Nutrient Intakes. CONCLUSIONS: The diets of 8-month-old infants in this study were adequate in most nutrients. Breastfed infants had slightly lower energy intakes than non-breastfed infants.  (+info)

Fortification contributed greatly to vitamin and mineral intakes in the United States, 1989-1991. (72/918)

The objective of this work was to quantify the contribution of fortification (defined here as adding nutrients beyond traditional enrichment standards) to dietary nutrient intakes in the United States. A list of fortified foods was developed that was relevant at the time of the analyses, and prefortification (naturally occurring) nutrients in the fortified foods were determined from industry-supplied data. Using dietary data from the 1989-1991 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII), intakes of nine nutrients were determined both as reported in the CSFII (i.e., postfortification) and also by using prefortification nutrient levels for the identified fortified foods. We report data for the total population age >/= 1 y based on respondents (n = 11,710) with 3 d of dietary data, as well as select age/gender subgroups. All data were weighted. Fortification substantially increased the intakes of all nutrients examined except calcium, in all age/gender groups but especially in children. In numerous cases, fortification was responsible for boosting median or 25th percentile intakes from below to above the RDA. The breakfast cereal category was responsible for nearly all the intake of nutrients from fortified foods, except vitamin C for which juice-type beverages made as great or a greater contribution. These data from 1989 to 1991 serve as a useful baseline with which to compare contributions of fortification as the practice expands. The large contribution of fortification even in 1989-1991 suggests that continued monitoring of fortification practices, using methods such as those presented here, is important.  (+info)