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COVID-19 symptoms range from severe respiratory failure to mild anorexia, cough and smell and taste alterations, adversely impacting nutritional intake. The aim of this paper was to establish malnutrition risk, Nutrition Impact Symptoms (NIS) and associations with reduced oral intake. A retrospective observational cohort of all people testing positive for COVID-19 was conducted. Malnutrition risk, nutritional status, weight, reduced oral intake and NIS on and during admission were collected. Dietetic consultation frequency and mode were captured. Some 80% (48/60) of participants reported at least one NIS, and 58% (25/60) reported two or more. Most frequent reported symptoms were cough (60%), sore throat (35%) and reduced appetite (28%). Significant associations existed between ≥2 NIS (p=0.006), reduced appetite (p=0.000) and reduced oral intake, with 20% requiring ongoing nutrition support and consultation. High NIS prevalence confirms systematised nutrition support pathways are indicated through incorporation into standard care across the healthcare continuum, including community care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been growing interest in exploring factors that influence the success or otherwise of welfare policies in democratic countries, such as the interrelationships between the proposed policy and the context it will be introduced into, such as the sociodemographic characteristics of the population and the population's previous experience with welfare policies. However, there has been little exploration of factors that could influence general population support for long-term care for older people. The aim of this study was to investigate the general population's attitudes for determinants of high-quality aged care and different mechanisms for funding and any impact of individual characteristics on these. A representative sample of the Australian general population aged 18 years and over (N = 10,315, 52% female, 22% aged 65 years and over) drawn via quota sampling participated in the survey online. Participants were asked to rate the importance of a list of 10 determinants of quality care and their support for four models of funding, both using a five-point Likert scale. We identified consistently high expectations for long-term care services across the general population, especially among older people, females, those with a family member in care, and those living in rural or regional areas. In terms of how governments practically fund a high-quality long-term care system, we also identified broad support among the general population for both payment of a co-contribution towards the cost of care by older people using services and increased government funding for the system. Over 40% of participants said they would be willing to pay additional tax to improve access and quality of aged care services. While often neglected by governments in the past who assumed voter apathy on the topic, by comparison, our findings indicate that there is currently a strong appetite among the general population for improvements to the quality of care provided and that they are willing to consider changes to the funding model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate dietary intake has been found to positively impact athletes' performance, body composition and recovery from exercise. Strategies to optimise dietary intake often involve targeting one or more of the many factors that are known to influence dietary intake. This review aims to investigate the types and effectiveness of interventions used to impact modifiable factors of dietary intake in athletes. MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus and Web of Science were searched from inception to May 2022 for intervention studies that measured dietary intake with a quantitative tool and explored at least one factor thought to influence the dietary intake of adult athletes. Study quality was assessed using the ADA Quality Criteria Checklist: Primary Research. Twenty-four studies were included. The most common interventions focused on nutrition education (n 10), macronutrient adjustment (n 7) and physical activity (n 5). The three most common factors thought to influence dietary intake addressed were nutrition knowledge (n 12), hunger and appetite (n 8), and body composition (n 4). Significant changes in dietary intake were found in sixteen studies, with nutrition education interventions returning significant results in the largest proportion of studies (n 8). Study quality within this review was mostly average (n 4 < 50 %, n 19 50–80 %, n 1 > 80 %). As studies included were published between 1992 and 2021, interventions and factors explored in older studies may require up-to-date research to investigate possible differences in results due to time-related confounders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an update of a previous review ' Red Meat in the Diet' published in the Nutrition Bulletin in 2005. An update on red meat consumption levels in the UK and other countries is provided, and a summary of the nutritional content of red meat in the diet is given. Current evidence on dietary and lifestyle factors associated with red meat consumption and the effects of red meat intake on health and chronic disease outcomes are discussed. As there is now continued debate about the environmental impact of different aspects of our diet, sustainability issues regarding red meat were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the successful management of hyperphagia (exaggerated hunger) in a 14yr-old female with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). This child was diagnosed with PWS, (maternal uniparental disomy) at 18 months due to developmental delay, hypertonia, weight gain and extreme eating behaviour. Treatment of a supplement for appetite suppression commenced at 2 years of age. This single-case records ingestion of an Indian cactus succulent Caralluma fimbriata extract (CFE) over 12 years, resulting in anecdotal satiety, free access to food and management of weight within normal range. CFE was administered in a drink daily and dose was slowly escalated by observation for appetite suppression. Rigorous testing determined blood count, vitamins, key minerals, HbA1c, IGF-1 and function of the liver and thyroid all within normal range. The report suggests a strategy for early intervention against hyperphagia and obesity in PWS. This case was the instigator of the successful Australian PWS/CFE pilot and though anecdotal, the adolescent continues to ingest CFE followed by paediatricians at the Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Future clinical trials are worth considering, to determine an appropriate dose for individuals with PWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: As a result of the coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Australia adopted emergency measures on 22 March 2020. This study reports the effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on appetite and overeating in Australian adults during the first month of emergency measures.Design: This study reports analysis of data from the population-based, self-completed survey. The main outcome measure was an item from the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 asking: 'Over the past 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by poor appetite or overeating?'. Data on sociodemographic factors, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown were also collected. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations with poor appetite or overeating.Setting: An anonymous online survey available from 3 April to 2 May 2020.Participants: A total of 13 829 Australian residents aged 18 years or over.Results: The weighted prevalence of being bothered by poor appetite or overeating in the past 2 weeks was 53·6 %, with 11·6 % (95 % CI 10·6, 12·6) of the cohort reporting poor appetite or overeating nearly every day. High levels of anxiety, concern about contracting COVID-19, being in lockdown with children and reporting a severe impact of the lockdown were associated with increased odds of poor appetite or overeating.Conclusions: Given the widespread prevalence of being bothered by poor appetite or overeating, universal public health interventions to address emotion-focused or situational eating during periods of lockdown may be appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aims of this study were to evaluate the factor structure of the newly developed Adult Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (AEBQ) (Hunot et al., Appetite 105:356-63, 2016) in an Australian sample, and examine associations between the four food approach and four food avoidance appetitive traits with body mass index (BMI). Methods: Participants (N = 998) recruited between May and October 2016 via a university research participation scheme and online social network sites completed an online version of the AEBQ and self-reported demographic and anthropometric data. Of the sample, 84.8% were females, 29.6% had completed a university degree and the overall mean age was 24.32 years (SD = 8.32). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test three alternative factor structures (derived from issues raised in the original development study): the original 8 factor model, a 7 factor model with Food Responsiveness and Hunger scales combined, and a 7 factor model with the Hunger scale removed. Results: The CFA revealed that the original 8 factor model was a better fit to the data than the 7 factor model in which Food Responsiveness and Hunger scales were combined. However, while reliability estimates for 7 of the 8 scales were good (Cronbach's a between 0.70-0.86), the reliability of the Hunger scale was modest (0.67) and dropping this factor resulted in a good fitting model. All food avoidance scales (except Food Fussiness) were negatively associated with body mass index (BMI) whereas Emotional Overeating was the only food approach scale positively associated with BMI. Conclusions: The study supports the use of the AEBQ as a reliable and valid measure of food approach and avoidance appetitive traits in adults. Longitudinal studies that examine continuity and stability of appetitive traits across the lifespan will be facilitated by the addition of this measurement tool to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Feeding practices are commonly examined as potentially modifiable determinants of children's eating behaviours and weight status. Although a variety of questionnaires exist to assess different feeding aspects, many lack thorough reliability and validity testing. The Feeding Practices and Structure Questionnaire (FPSQ) is a tool designed to measure early feeding practices related to non-responsive feeding and structure of the meal environment. Face validity, factorial validity, internal reliability and cross-sectional correlations with children's eating behaviours have been established in mothers with 2-year-old children. The aim of the present study was to further extend the validity of the FPSQ by examining factorial, construct and predictive validity, and stability. Methods: Participants were from the NOURISH randomised controlled trial which evaluated an intervention with first-time mothers designed to promote protective feeding practices. Maternal feeding practices (FP) and child eating behaviours were assessed when children were aged 2 years and 3.7 years (n = 388). Confirmatory Factor analysis, group differences, predictive relationships, and stability were tested. Results: The original 9-factor structure was confirmed when children were aged 3.7 ± 0.3 years. Cronbach's alpha was above the recommended 0.70 cut-off for all factors except Structured Meal Timing, Over Restriction and Distrust in Appetite which were 0.58, 0.67 and 0.66 respectively. Allocated group differences reflected behaviour consistent with intervention content and all feeding practices were stable across both time points (range of r = 0.45-0.70). There was some evidence for the predictive validity of factors with 2 FP showing expected relationships, 2 FP showing expected and unexpected relationships and 5 FP showing no relationship. Conclusions: Reliability and validity was demonstrated for most subscales of the FPSQ. Future validation is warranted with culturally diverse samples and with fathers and other caregivers. The use of additional outcomes to further explore predictive validity is recommended as well as testing test-retest reliability of the questionnaire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) is a valid nutrition screening tool in the acute hospital setting but has not been assessed in residential aged care facilities. The aim of this secondary analysis was to determine whether the MST could be a useful nutrition screening tool when compared with a full nutrition assessment by Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) in the residential aged care setting. Methods: Two hundred and eighty-five residents (29% male; mean age 84 ± 9 years) from eight residential aged care facilities in Australia participated in the study. A secondary analysis of data collected during a nutrition intervention study was conducted. The MST consists of two questions related to recent weight loss and appetite. Although the MST was not specifically applied, weight loss and appetite information was available and an estimated MST score (0–5) was calculated. Nutritional status was assessed by a research assistant trained in using the SGA. Results: Malnutrition prevalence was 42.8% (122 malnourished out of 285 residents). Compared to the SGA, the MST was an effective predictor of nutritional risk (sensitivity = 83.6%, specificity = 65.6%, positive predictive value = 0.65, negative predictive value = 0.84). Conclusions: The components of the MST have acceptable sensitivity and specificity, suggesting that it can play a valuable role in quickly identifying the risk of malnutrition in the residential aged care setting. Further prospective research using the MST tool against a broader array of objective and subjective nutritional parameters is required to confirm its validity as a screening tool in aged care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines nutritional challenges for the elderly in Australia. The elderly are the biggest group of nutritionally vulnerable people. Weight loss is tied up with increased morbidity and mortality. There is a reduction in energy requirements with increasing age, while there are increased requirements for a number of nutrients such as protein, riboflavin, calcium, and vitamin D. There is a reduction in appetite with increasing age. A challenge is to keep older people interested in food.