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Providing small grants to community organizations can be an effective way to encourage changes in the environment that support better nutrition. This is effective because these organizations can provide insights into their communities, ready-made relationships with community members, and the trust of the community. Small-grants programs are more likely to be successful when they are tailored to the needs of individual communities, led by organizations that have established reputations with the community, fully supported by the lead community organization, and engage local partners that complement the skills and resources of the lead organization. An evaluation of a small-grants program, Grants for Healthy Youth, found that grantees developed unique approaches to improving their community nutrition environments, gained experience and skills in program development, built partnerships, and received recognition for their project work. Grantees faced some common barriers, especially with program evaluation. Small-grants programs can be an effective way to improve community nutrition environments, but granting agencies need to provide effective technical assistance to communities throughout the process.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2005.11.007 Byline: Carol Boushey, Jeffrey Harris, Barbara Bruemmer, Sujata L. Archer, Linda Van Horn Abstract: To enhance the Journal's position as the premier source for peer-reviewed research in the science of food, nutrition, and dietetics, members of the Board of Editors recognize the importance of providing a resource for researchers to ensure quality and accuracy of reporting in the Journal. This first monograph of a periodic four-part series focuses on the study hypothesis, study design, and collaboration with a statistician. The basics of study design start with a clear hypothesis or research question and a definitive outcome measure. Throughout the development of a research project, the questions of what is to be discovered and why the research is being conducted need to be addressed. Decisions about parameters to measure and study design most appropriate to test a hypothesis create the foundation for future conclusions. Collaboration with a statistician can aid in the research development process. Documentation that coherently communicates the research process will advance the science of evidence-based practice in nutrition and dietetics. Real examples from published literature are provided, as well as references to books and online resources.

A study was conducted with an aim to compare how dietary energy density, calculated using three different methods relates to food choices and nutrient composition of the diets of elite figure skaters. The consumption of fast foods, snacks, and desserts was associated with high density, whereas the consumption of vegetables and fruits was associated with lower dietary energy density.

Food is an element of daily life, but, in our complex culture, we often overlook the role of food in basic survival. The threat of a bioterrorist attack on our [...]

This population-based case-control study examined the association between selected nutrients, foods, and diet behaviors and bladder cancer. Bladder cancer cases (n = 262) were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program cancer registry for western Washington, and controls (n = 405) were identified through random digit dialing. Cases were diagnosed between January 1987 and June 1990, and eligible subjects were Caucasian, aged 45–65 years, and residents of King, Pierce, or Snohomish counties. Subjects completed a self-administered, 71-item food frequency questionnaire and a structured telephone interview. Analyses were conducted by logistic regression analysis and included adjustment for age, sex, smoking (current, former, never), and county. Odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for highest versus lowest level of intake were examined. An inverse association was found between the risk of bladder cancer and dietary retinol (odds ratio (OR) across quartiles: 1.00, 1.09, 0.97, and 0.52; 95% Cl 0.29–0.97; trend p value = 0.03) and dietary vitamin C (OR across quartiles: 1.00, 0.96, 0.67, and 0.50; 95% Cl 0.28–0.88; trend p value = 0.009), adjusted for calories. The use of multivrtamin supplements daily over the 10-year period ending 2 years before diagnosis versus no use was associated with a decreased risk of bladder cancer (OR = 0.39; 95% Cl 0.24–0.63) as was use of supplemental vitamin C (OR for >502 mg/day over the 10 years vs. none = 0.40; 95% CI 0.21–0.76). Increased intake of fruit was associated with a decreased risk of bladder cancer (OR across quartiles: 1.00, 1.24, 0.72, and 0.53; 95% Cl 0.30–0.93; trend p value = 0.01, adjusted for calories), while increased use of fried foods was associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer (OR across quartiles: 1.00, 1.51, 1.81, and 2.24; 95% Cl 1.25–4.03; trend p value = 0.006). This study provides modest evidence that certain nutrients, foods, and supplementation may affect the incidence of bladder cancer. Am J Epidemiol 1996; 144: 485-95. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods that measure energy balance accurately in real time represent promising avenues to address the obesity epidemic. We developed an electronic food diary on a mobile phone that includes an energy balance visualization and computes and displays the difference between energy intake from food entries and energy expenditure from a multiple-sensor device that provides objective estimates of energy expenditure in real time. A geographic information system dataset containing locations associated with activity and eating episodes is integrated with an ArcPad mapping application on the phone to provide users with a visual display of food sources and locations associated with physical activity within their proximal environment. This innovative tool captures peoples' movement through space and time under free-living conditions and could potentially have many health-related applications in the future., ((c) 2010 Diabetes Technology Society.)