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Abstract Background This study was designed to evaluate the association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and clinical and biochemical variables in patients with osteoarthritis. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted among 160 patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis. The Likert version of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC Index) was used to assess the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The secondary outcomes included inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers. The participants' usual diets were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and the dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was calculated based on the ferric reducing antioxidant power method. Additionally, clinical and biochemical variables were evaluated using standard methods. Results The mean age of the participants was 57.2 ± 8.1 years, and 55.6% of them were females. The dietary TAC scores in this study ranged from 3.67 to 24.72, with a mean of 12.05 ± 5.3. We found a significant inverse trend between the dietary TAC score and the total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) score (P = 0.001), as well as the WOMAC stiffness (P = 0.008) and WOMAC physical function scores (P = 0.001). Furthermore, dietary TAC was inversely associated with serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (β = − 0.18, P = 0.020), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (β = − 0.67, P

The increasing prevalence of obesity is a serious concern in Korea. However, there is currently no available food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for examining the dietary patterns of adults with obesity. This study aimed to develop a semi-quantitative FFQ tailored to Korean adults with obesity. The dish/food items for the FFQ were extracted from the 24 h recall data of 8450 Korean adults (aged 19–64 years) with obesity who participated in the 2013–2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Among the 1709 dishes consumed, 475 were selected based on their high contribution to the intake or substantial between-individual variation in 11 nutrients: energy, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugar, fat, saturated fat, protein, sodium, vitamin A, vitamin E, and flavonoids. These dishes were subsequently categorized into 129 items based on their recipes and primary ingredients. The final 129 items included rice; noodles and dumplings; breads, rice cakes, and cereals; soups and stews; eggs, pulses, meat, and fish; vegetables and kimchi; fruit; snacks; beverages; milk/dairy products; alcohol; and water. The response options for intake frequency comprised nine options, and the intake amount response included three options (50%, 100%, and 150–200% of the standard intake). After validation, this FFQ is expected to be used in epidemiological studies to investigate the dietary patterns of Korean adults with obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and clinical and biochemical variables in patients with osteoarthritis. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 160 patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis. The Likert version of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC Index) was used to assess the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis. The secondary outcomes included inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers. The participants' usual diets were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and the dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was calculated based on the ferric reducing antioxidant power method. Additionally, clinical and biochemical variables were evaluated using standard methods. Results: The mean age of the participants was 57.2 ± 8.1 years, and 55.6% of them were females. The dietary TAC scores in this study ranged from 3.67 to 24.72, with a mean of 12.05 ± 5.3. We found a significant inverse trend between the dietary TAC score and the total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) score (P = 0.001), as well as the WOMAC stiffness (P = 0.008) and WOMAC physical function scores (P = 0.001). Furthermore, dietary TAC was inversely associated with serum concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (β = − 0.18, P = 0.020), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) (β = − 0.67, P < 0.001), matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) (β = − 0.33, P < 0.001), and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) (β = − 0.22, P = 0.005) levels. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate an inverse association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and clinical and biochemical variables in patients with osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: While the gut microbiota is relatively stable through adulthood, its composition is influenced by various host and environmental factors, including changes in health, gastrointestinal processes (e.g., transit time, gastric acidity), medication use, and diet. The association of habitual diet, in the form of a posteriori-derived dietary patterns, and microbiota composition has not been adequately studied, particularly in older men. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to investigate the association of dietary patterns with the composition and diversity of the gut bacterial microbiota in community-dwelling, older men. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 517 men who were participants in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study (≥65 y of age at baseline in 2000-2002) and who provided a stool sample and completed an FFQ at MrOS Visit 4 in 2014-2016. Dietary patterns were derived by factor analysis. 16S ribosomal RNA target gene sequencing was performed and taxonomy assignments were derived using the Greengenes database. Linear regression and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) considered variations in alpha and beta diversity by dietary pattern, and a model that implements a 0-inflated Gaussian distribution of mean group abundance for each taxa (metagenomeSeq) assessed taxonomic variations by dietary pattern. RESULTS: In multivariable-adjusted models, greater adherence to the Western pattern was positively associated with families Mogibacteriaceae and Veillonellaceae and genera Alistipes, Anaerotruncus, CC-115, Collinsella, Coprobacillus, Desulfovibrio, Dorea, Eubacterium, and Ruminococcus, while greater adherence to the prudent pattern was positively associated with order Streptophyta, family Victivallaceae, and genera Cetobacterium, Clostridium, Faecalibacterium, Lachnospira, Paraprevotella, and Veillonella. The relative abundance of the dominant gut bacterial phyla, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, did not differ between participants with greater adherence to the Western pattern, compared with those with greater adherence to the prudent pattern. Dietary patterns were not associated with measures of alpha diversity, but beta diversity measures were significantly associated with both Western and prudent patterns. CONCLUSIONS: We observed significant associations between dietary patterns and measures of gut microbial composition in this sample of community-dwelling, older men.

Background Low 24-h urinary potassium excretion, reflecting low potassium intake, is associated with premature mortality in the general population. Objectives To determine whether urinary potassium excretion is associated with all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study in 654 patients with type 2 diabetes in the Diabetes and Lifestyle Cohort Twente (DIALECT). Sex-specific tertiles of 24-h urinary potassium excretion were analyzed in a multivariable Cox regression model with all-cause mortality. The outpatient program of the hospital uses a continuous surveillance system by the municipal registry of death to ensure up-to-date information on the patient's status (alive or deceased). FFQs were used to study associations between urinary potassium excretion and food products. Results Urinary potassium excretion at baseline was 84 ± 25 mmol/d in males and 65 ± 22 mmol/d in females, corresponding to estimated potassium intakes of 4250 ± 1270 mg/d and 3300 ± 875 mg/d. During a median follow-up of 5.2 (IQR: 2.7−7.9] y, 96 participants died. In a fully adjusted model, patients in the lowest sex-specific tertile had a higher risk of all-cause mortality, compared with patients in the highest sex-specific tertile (HR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.06, 4.10; P  = 0.03). Patients in the lowest sex-specific tertile consumed fewer fruits and vegetables, dairy, coffee, and potato products compared with patients in the highest sex-specific tertile (all P  < 0.05). Conclusions Low potassium intake is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in Dutch patients with type 2 diabetes. Intervention studies are needed to determine whether potassium supplementation improves longevity in patients with type 2 diabetes. This trial was registered in the Dutch Trial Register as NTR trial code 5855. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing prevalence of obesity is a serious concern in Korea. However, there is currently no available food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for examining the dietary patterns of adults with obesity. This study aimed to develop a semi-quantitative FFQ tailored to Korean adults with obesity. The dish/food items for the FFQ were extracted from the 24 h recall data of 8450 Korean adults (aged 19–64 years) with obesity who participated in the 2013–2019 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Among the 1709 dishes consumed, 475 were selected based on their high contribution to the intake or substantial between-individual variation in 11 nutrients: energy, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, sugar, fat, saturated fat, protein, sodium, vitamin A, vitamin E, and flavonoids. These dishes were subsequently categorized into 129 items based on their recipes and primary ingredients. The final 129 items included rice; noodles and dumplings; breads, rice cakes, and cereals; soups and stews; eggs, pulses, meat, and fish; vegetables and kimchi; fruit; snacks; beverages; milk/dairy products; alcohol; and water. The response options for intake frequency comprised nine options, and the intake amount response included three options (50%, 100%, and 150–200% of the standard intake). After validation, this FFQ is expected to be used in epidemiological studies to investigate the dietary patterns of Korean adults with obesity.

A good assessment of dietary methyl-group donor intake (folate, choline, betaine, methionine) is needed to investigate the effect of methyl-group donor intake on children's health. The aim is to develop and validate a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to estimate the daily intake of methyl-group donors in preschoolers. For the relative validity and reproducibility of the FFQ, a 7-day estimated dietary record (7d EDR) and repeated measurements 6 weeks apart (n = 77) were used respectively. For the validity (n = 75), a moderate ranking ability was obtained (de-attenuated Pearson correlation = 0.43–0.70; weighted ƙ 0.10–0.40), but the FFQ tends to overestimate the real intake. Cross-classification analysis showed that 38% (choline) and 28% (betaine) of the subjects were misclassified. The FFQ shows a moderate to good reproducibility, intra-class correlation coefficients range between 0.67 (betaine) and 0.76 (choline) with a maximal misclassification of 6.5% for betaine (weighted ƙ 0.37–0.69) (n = 77). Conclusion: The FFQ is a tool with a moderate validity and reproducibility to estimate the consumption of dietary methyl-group donors in preschoolers. This tool might be used in future research epidemiological studies including preschoolers. What is Known: • Poor dietary habits during childhood have been associated with chronic disease in adulthood. • Methyl-group donors are important for DNA methylation, which is the underlying mechanism of disease development. What is New: • For the first time, a food-frequency questionnaire that can assess the intake of methione, folate, choline, and betaine has been developed and validated for the use in preschoolers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nutrition transition has replaced homemade foods with processed items that increased the prevalence of noncommunicable disease in adult population. But we know little about the food intake pattern of adults specially in urban sector. Aims: The study aimed at describing the food-consumption patterns in a sample of adults residing in urban area. Settings and Design: An observational cross-sectional study was done from April to June, 2019 at urban field practice area of a teaching hospital of Kolkata. Methods and Material: A prevalidated, pretested, 51-item, food-frequency questionnaire was applied to assess the food-consumption pattern of 110 participants. Results: Adults reported poor dietary intakes; more than half reported no consumption of green-leafy vegetables (GLV) (66.4%), other vegetables (52.8%), and fruits (63.6%). Whereas 72.7% reported consumption of three or more servings of energy-dense foods and 90.9% reported consumption of three or more servings of energy-dense beverages on previous day. Mean intake of food varied from 0.34 (SD = 0.47) for GLV to 8.19 (SD = 2.39) for cereals. Females consumed more servings of GLV, other vegetables, roots-tubers, and fruits than males. Fruit consumption was low in all age groups. Higher socioeconomic class people strikingly consumed no GLV. Conclusions: Study participants reported consumption of more energy-dense snacks, beverages than healthy food like GLV, fruits. Study findings highlight to design strategies to promote nutrition education and practical application of healthy food habits in target population group.

Background Nutrients that support the desired growth and development of the fetus (i.e. micronutrients like folate, iron, and zinc) have been associated with birth outcomes, such as gestational age at delivery and birth weight. Objectives We characterized the maternal dietary patterns that explain the maximum variation in folate, iron, and zinc intakes in pregnant Korean women using reduced-rank regression (RRR) and investigated the association of these patterns with small-for-gestational-age (SGA) risk. Methods A total of 1158 pregnant Korean women at 12–28 weeks of gestation and their newborns were recruited for the Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study between 2006 and 2010. A semiquantitative FFQ was collected from the women, and RRR was used to derive their dietary patterns. Log-transformed maternal intakes of folate, iron, and zinc were selected as the intermediate response variables to extract dietary patterns. Infant birth outcome measurements were obtained from hospital records. Associations were assessed by logistic regression with adjustment for confounding factors. Results Three dietary patterns were identified. Pattern 1, characterized by high intakes of grains, green/yellow and light-colored vegetables, kimchi, legumes, fruits, meat, eggs, fish, seaweeds, tofu/soymilk, yogurt, and nuts, was associated with a lower risk of SGA in the highest quartile than in the lowest quartile (OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.14, 0.94). Especially, maternal dietary pattern 1 was negatively related to high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in the blood and malondialdehyde concentrations in the urine. No association was observed between other dietary patterns and SGA. Conclusion Among pregnant Korean women, adherence to a dietary pattern characterized by high intakes of grains, green/yellow and light-colored vegetables, kimchi, legumes, fruits, meat, eggs, fish, seaweeds, tofu/soymilk, yogurt, and nuts is associated with a lower risk of delivering SGA infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There are few concise tools to evaluate dietary habits in men with prostate cancer in Canada. Objective The aim was to develop a short food-frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) in a cohort of prostate cancer patients. Methods A total of 130 men with prostate cancer completed the SFFQ and a validated comprehensive food-frequency questionnaire (CFFQ). Both questionnaires were administered at baseline and 6 mo later. Results We found good correlation between the SFFQ and the CFFQ for seafood, dairy, egg, fruits, potatoes, grains, soft drinks, and processed meat (Spearman rank correlation >0.5). Moderate correlation was found for meat, sweets, vegetables, protein, and carbohydrates (Spearman rank correlation: 0.3–0.5). We found a weaker correlation for total fat measured by SFFQ and CFFQ (Spearman rank correlation <0.3). There was adequate reproducibility during the 6-mo follow-up among all food groups and nutrients, with the exception of meat. Conclusions Our SFFQ can be considered an appropriate tool to be used for measuring the habitual dietary intake of prostate cancer patients. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03127631. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nutrition transition has replaced homemade foods with processed items that increased the prevalence of noncommunicable disease in adult population. But we know little about the food intake pattern of adults specially in urban sector. Aims: The study aimed at describing the food-consumption patterns in a sample of adults residing in urban area. Settings and Design: An observational cross-sectional study was done from April to June, 2019 at urban field practice area of a teaching hospital of Kolkata. Methods and Material: A prevalidated, pretested, 51-item, food-frequency questionnaire was applied to assess the food-consumption pattern of 110 participants. Results: Adults reported poor dietary intakes; more than half reported no consumption of green-leafy vegetables (GLV) (66.4%), other vegetables (52.8%), and fruits (63.6%). Whereas 72.7% reported consumption of three or more servings of energy-dense foods and 90.9% reported consumption of three or more servings of energy-dense beverages on previous day. Mean intake of food varied from 0.34 (SD = 0.47) for GLV to 8.19 (SD = 2.39) for cereals. Females consumed more servings of GLV, other vegetables, roots-tubers, and fruits than males. Fruit consumption was low in all age groups. Higher socioeconomic class people strikingly consumed no GLV. Conclusions: Study participants reported consumption of more energy-dense snacks, beverages than healthy food like GLV, fruits. Study findings highlight to design strategies to promote nutrition education and practical application of healthy food habits in target population group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NOVA is a classification that divides foods into four groups according to processing. Since no questionnaires have been validated to assess the consumption of foods with different levels of processing in the general adult population, we tested the reliability and validity of a 94-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (NFFQ) designed to estimate the intake (g/day) and the weight ratio (%) of the NOVA food groups in Italian adults. Time reliability and validity were tested by administrating the NFFQ to 110 subjects on two different occasions and comparing it with a weighed dietary record (WDR). Strong correlations between NFFQs (r > 0.7, p < 0.001) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) of 0.851-0.940 indicated good test-retest reliability. Moderate correlations between the NFFQ and the WDR (0.6

Objective: The purpose of the study was to analyse the dietary habits identified by diet quality scores (DQS) in the scope of body fatness (BF) and nutritional knowledge (NK) of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women.Design: Case-control study. The DQS were accessed by Dietary Habits, and Nutrition Beliefs Questionnaire (KomPAN, The Committee of Human Nutrition, Polish Academy of Science) included food frequency consumption of thirty-three food items and was formulated by six diet indexes: Pro-Healthy-Diet-Index (pHDI-10), Non-Healthy-Diet-Index (nHDI-14), High-Glycemic-Diet-Index-7 (hGIDI-7), Low-Glycemic-Diet-Index-4 (lGIDI-4), High-Sugar-Diet-Index-4 (hSDI-4) and High-Saturated-Fats-Diet-Index-8 (hSFDI-8). The BF was analysed by air displacement plethysmography (BodPod, Life Measurement Inc.). NK was assessed by using the twenty-five 'true or false' statements included in the KomPAN questionnaire.Setting: Poland, Clinical Hospital, Department of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Internal Diseases.Participants: The study group included 122 PCOS women and 116 age- and socio-economic status-matched healthy controls (CON) aged 17-44 years.Results: Higher BF and lower NK in PCOS women v. controls were observed. PCOS women had a lower pHDI-10 and LGIDI-4 than CON. There was no relation between NK and DQS in PCOS women. The higher NK in the CON group was associated with increased intensity of pHDI-10 and lower frequency of hSFDI-8 levels.Conclusions: Pro-healthy DQS and NK of PCOS women in this study were lower than CON. Professional dietary education might improve dietary behaviours and understanding of the necessity of dietary habits modification in this group. A multidisciplinary approach is needed in the treatment of PCOS women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate dietary fish questionnaire can be used to predict dietary intake status of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA). The aim of this study was to design and validate a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to predict fish consumption of primary school children against a 7-day food diary (7d FD). A cross-sectional study was performed in elementary school in Surakarta, Indonesia. A total of 164 children aged 8 to 12 yo which were recruited using multi-stage random sampling were participated in this study. The FFQ consisted of 38 species of fish including 27 species of fresh fish and 11 species of processed fish. Total median (interquartile range) fish intake determined from the FFQ vs 7d FD was similar of 60 (36-114) g/d and 59 (37-108) g/d, respectively. A very good correlation was found between the FFQ and 7d FD by Spearman's correlation coefficient test (r=0.965, p=0.0001) with an acceptable of the two methods using non-parametric limit of agreement (95% LoA=-10.907-34.619, median difference=0.011, 95% CI for median difference=-2.408-1.193). The FFQ is acceptable a valid tool to determine fish intake in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Evidence documenting whether diet quality, particularly dietary fatty acids, is associated with preterm birth (PTB) is limited. Objective The aim was to measure associations between dietary fatty acid intake prior to pregnancy, specifically n–3 (ɷ-3) PUFAs and odds of PTB in US women and determine if associations differed by prepregnancy BMI. Methods We designed a secondary analysis of dietary intake in nulliparous women enrolled in a longitudinal cohort (NCT01322529). Participants completed an FFQ, modified to assess detailed PUFA intake, during the 3 mo preceding pregnancy. Inclusion in this analytic cohort required total energy intake within 2 SDs of the group mean. Prepregnancy BMI was categorized as underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. The primary exposure was estimated intake of EPA and DHA (combined EPA+DHA), in the context of a recommended intake of 250 mg. The primary outcome was PTB (<37 wk). Adjusted regression models controlled for maternal factors relevant to PTB and evaluated associations with PUFAs. Interaction terms estimated effect modification of BMI. A false discovery rate (FDR) correction accounted for multiple comparisons. Results Median daily intake of combined EPA+DHA in 7365 women was 70 mg (IQR: 32, 145 mg). A significant interaction term indicated the effects of EPA+DHA on odds of PTB were different for different BMI categories (P  < 0.01). Specifically, higher intake of combined EPA+DHA was nominally associated with reduced odds of PTB in women with underweight (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.46–0.98) and normal BMI (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.78–0.96), yet was associated with increased odds of overweight BMI (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.02–1.44). Associations remained significant after FDR correction. Conclusions Based on a cohort of US women designed to identify predictors of adverse pregnancy outcomes, dietary intake of combined EPA+DHA was considerably lower than recommended. Associations between intake of these recommended n–3 fatty acids and risk of PTB differ by maternal BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The importance of diet and nutrition during preconception age is a window of opportunity to promote future parental and transgenerational health. As a sub-study to a large Norwegian study, ‘Diet today – health of tomorrow’, a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed to assess diet during the preconception phase in young adults aged 20 – 30 years and in this paper we report the reproducibility and relative validity of this questionnaire. Methods The FFQ was developed from an existing FFQ validated in adolescents. Participants were recruited on social media and at a university. Reproducibility was assessed by comparing the test and retest of the FFQ. Relative validity was assessed by comparing intake measured by the FFQ with a 7-day weighed food record. Energy, nutrients and food intake were used to assess the reproducibility and relative validity of the FFQ. The study applied the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, percentage of agreement and Cohen’s Kappa to assess reproducibility and validity. Results There were 32 participants recruited to the study, of which 21 participants completed both the test-retest reproducibility and the relative validation. The test-retest reproducibility had a median correlation coefficient of 0.85 for energy and nutrients, a median Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of 0.75 and a median Cohen’s Kappa of 0.51 for food groups. The relative validity of the FFQ had a median correlation coefficient of 0.59 for energy and nutrients, a median Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of 0.54 and a median Cohen’s Kappa of 0.28 for food groups. Conclusion This newly developed FFQ for preconception diet in young adults had a satisfactory test-retest reproducibility and fair relative validity.

Introduction: Food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) is a preferred tool for longitudinal dietary assessment and has been recently validated in patients on hemodialysis in other countries. As dietary habits vary vastly across regions, this study was planned to develop and validate a novel dialysis FFQ in northern India. Materials and Methods: Dietary recall data from patients on hemodialysis available from the previous year were used for identifying food items for inclusion in the FFQ. A nutrient database was created to estimate energy, protein, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium content of the foods included in the food list. The FFQ was validated against a 2-day dietary recall method (one predialysis, one on the dialysis day) in patients on maintenance hemodialysis in a tertiary care hospital in Lucknow, northern India. Results: Dietary recall data from 78 patients on hemodialysis were used for the generation of the FFQ. A total of 84 patients completed the validation study. All the nutrients measured by the FFQ correlated significantly with the means of the 2-day dietary record (r values 0.31-0.76) both in crude- and energy-adjusted intakes. De-attenuation further improved the correlation (0.35-0.80). Bland-Altman plots showed higher estimates by FFQ than by dietary recall. Cross-classification analysis showed correct classification in the exact or adjacent quintile (average 60%) by both methods and 2% gross misclassification. Weighted kappa showed fair agreement for energy intake and slight agreement for others. Conclusion: This novel semiquantitative FFQ is a valid tool for measuring energy and nutrient intakes in hemodialysis patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Diet plays an important role in chronic disease, and the use of dietary pattern analysis has grown rapidly as a way of deconstructing the complexity of nutritional intake and its relation to health. Pattern analysis methods, such as principal component analysis (PCA), have been used to investigate various dimensions of diet. Existing analytic methods, however, do not fully utilize the predictive potential of dietary assessment data. In particular, these methods are often suboptimal at predicting clinically important variables. Methods We propose a new dietary pattern analysis method using the advanced LASSO (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) model to improve the prediction of disease-related risk factors. Despite the potential advantages of LASSO, this is the first time that the model has been adapted for dietary pattern analysis. Hence, the systematic evaluation of the LASSO model as applied to dietary data and health outcomes is highly innovative and novel. Using Food Frequency Questionnaire data from NHANES 2005–2006, we apply PCA and LASSO to identify dietary patterns related to cardiovascular disease risk factors in healthy US adults (n = 2609) after controlling for confounding variables (e.g., age and BMI). Both analyses account for the sampling weights. Model performance in terms of prediction accuracy is evaluated using an independent test set. Results PCA yields 10 principal components (PCs) that together account for 65% of the variation in the data set and represent distinct dietary patterns. These PCs are then used as predictors in a regression model to predict cardiovascular disease risk factors. We find that LASSO better predicts levels of triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol (adjusted R 2 = 0.861, 0.899, 0.890, and 0.935 respectively) than does the traditional, linear-regression-based, dietary pattern analysis method (adjusted R 2 = 0.163, 0.005, 0.235, and 0.024 respectively) when the latter is applied to components derived from PCA. Conclusions The proposed method is shown to be an appropriate and promising statistical means of deriving dietary patterns predictive of cardiovascular disease risk. Future studies, involving different diseases and risk factors, will be necessary before LASSO’s broader usefulness in nutritional epidemiology can be established.

Background Prepregnancy diabetes, especially when severely dysregulated, is associated with an increased risk of congenital heart defects in offspring. This suggests that glucose plays a role in embryonic heart development. Objective The aim was to investigate the association between midpregnancy dietary glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), and sugar-sweetened beverages and the risk of congenital heart defects in the offspring. Methods Offspring of mothers from the Danish National Birth Cohort who filled out a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) covering midpregnancy dietary intake were included. Individual-level information on GI and GL, offspring congenital heart defects, and health and lifestyle covariates was linked. The association between GI and GL and offspring congenital heart defects was estimated by logistic regression. Further, we evaluated whether maternal intake of sugar-sweetened drinks increased the risk of offspring congenital heart defects. Results In total, 66,387 offspring of women who responded to the FFQ were included; among offspring, 543 had a congenital heart defect. The adjusted OR (aOR) of congenital heart defects among offspring of mothers belonging to the highest versus the lowest GI quintile was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.78, 1.34; P -trend = 0.86). Results were similar for GL (aOR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.72, 1.24). A high intake of sugar-sweetened carbonated beverages was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of offspring congenital heart defects (highest vs lowest intake—aOR: 2.41; 95% CI: 1.26, 4.64; P -trend = 0.03). No association was found with other types of beverages. Conclusions The study does not support an association between a high GI and GL in midpregnancy and increased offspring risk of congenital heart defects. Nevertheless, a statistically significant association between sugar-sweetened carbonated beverages and a moderately increased risk of offspring congenital heart defects was observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background It is evident that social and behavioural factors influence on individuals’ general health and quality of life. Nevertheless, information about the influence of dietary habits on oral health-related quality of life is limited; especially among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of this study was to examine the influence of dietary habits and clinical oral health indicators on oral health-related quality of life in individuals with and without T2D. Methods A total of 149 T2D cases and 298 controls were recruited for this age and gender matched case-control study. Questionnaire-guided interviews were conducted to collect data about socio-demographic characteristics, consumption of food items per week (milk, meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, sweets and bread) and oral impact on daily performance (OIDP). Plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth, tooth mobility, decayed, missing and filled teeth index (DMFT) and root caries were recorded. Results Difficulty with eating and sleeping were more frequently reported by T2D cases (23.5% and 16.1%, respectively) than by the controls (10.7% and 5.0%, respectively) (P 0). The corresponding ORs were 1.23 (1.01–4.89) and 2.10 (1.08–4.09), respectively. Participants with low consumption of meat and vegetables were more likely than their counterparts with high consumption to report any oral impact. The corresponding ORs were 0.46 (0.25–0.83) and 0.38 (0.17–0.87), respectively. There was a significant interaction between diabetic status and meat consumption as well as between diabetic status and bread consumption. Conclusions Oral impacts were more frequently reported in T2D cases than controls. Independent of diabetic- and oral clinical status, dietary habits discriminated between individuals with and without oral impacts. The influence of meat and bread consumption on OIDP varied significantly according to T2D status.

Purpose: Fish is a source of various nutrients beneficial for bone health, but few studies have investigated the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and fish consumption. Thus, the aim was to investigate the relationship between total fish intake and BMD and between both lean and fatty fish intake and BMD. Method: These cross-sectional analyses include 4656 participants in the Hordaland Health Study, a community-based study conducted in 1997–1999. The study includes two birth cohorts of men and women from Hordaland county (Norway) born in 1950–1951 and 1925–1927. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and dietary intake was obtained from a semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Results: The average total fish intake was 33 ± 18 g/1000 kcal and was primarily lean fish. Older women had significantly lower BMD than older men and middle-aged men and women. In older women, total and lean fish intake (50 g/1000 kcal) was significantly and positively associated with BMD also after multivariate adjustments (β-coefficient 0.018, p = 0.017 and 0.026, p = 0.021). Conclusion: A high intake of fish, in particular lean fish, was positively associated with BMD in older women. No association between intake of fatty fish and BMD was found in either of the age and sex groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the reliability and validity of a Salty Food Frequency Questionnaire for Sodium (FFQ-Na) and a Discretionary Salt Questionnaire (DSQ) developed for the French-Canadian population. The reliability was evaluated according to temporal stability over a 7–15 day interval (n = 36). Validity was evaluated by testing the tools against a 24-h urine sodium excretion (24 h Uri-Na) and a 3-day food record, and this at individual and group levels (n = 164). The intra-class coefficients (ICC) values for the test-retest of the DSQ, the FFQ-Na and the two questionnaires combined were 0.73, 0.97 and 0.98 respectively. Correlations of the FFQ-Na with the 24 h Uri-Na and the 3-day food record were 0.3 (p < 0.001) and 0.35 (p < 0.001) respectively. The DSQ showed no significant correlation with the reference measures. The correlation between the two methods combined were 0.29 (p < 0.001) with the 24 h Uri-Na and 0.31 (p < 0.001) with the 3-day food record. The results of Bland–Altman indicated that for the combined questionnaires, there was a bias of measurement (underestimation of intake), but it was constant for every level of intake according to the reference measures. Finally, the cross-classification indicated an acceptable proportion of agreement, but a rate between 20% and 30% of classification in the opposite quartile. In conclusion, the developed tools are reliable and showed some facets of validity.

Background/objectives: Epidemiological evidence suggests that diets rich in flavonoids may reduce the risk of developing age-related cataract (ARC). Flavonoids are widely distributed in foods of plant origin, and the objective of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the association between the intakes of the five flavonoid subclasses and the risk of ARC. Subjects/methods: A population-based case-control study (249 cases and 66 controls) was carried out in Heilongjiang province, which is located in the northeast of China, and where intakes and availability of fresh vegetables and fruits can be limited. Dietary data gathered by food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) were used to calculate flavonoid intake. Adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated by logistic regression. Results: No linear associations between risk of developing ARC and intakes of total dietary flavonoids, anthocyanidins, flavon-3-ol, flavanone, total flavones or total flavonols were found, but quercetin and isorhamnetin intake was inversely associated with ARC risk (OR 11.78, 95% CI: 1.62–85.84, p

Objective: We aimed to validate a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for Dutch pregnant women, against three 24 h-recalls and blood concentrations of B-vitamins and fatty acids, using the method of triads. Methods: We included 83 pregnant women from the general population of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, at a median gestational age of 15.6 weeks. Participants completed three non-consecutive 24 h-recalls, and subsequently filled out the 293-item FFQ. Participants provided blood samples from which we analyzed serum folate and vitamin B12, as well as red blood cell folate, linoleic acid, and total saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Results: Estimated energy intake did not differ between the FFQ and 24 h-recalls. Deattenuated Pearson’s correlation coefficients, between energy-adjusted nutrient intake estimates from the FFQ and the 24 h-recalls, ranged from 0.41 (fat) to 0.88 (fiber) for macronutrients, and were around 0.6 for most micronutrients, except for vitamin E (0.27). Using the triad method, we obtained validity coefficients of 0.86 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.36, 1.00) for serum folate, 0.86 (95% CI 0.18, 1.00) for red blood cell folate, and 1.00 (95% CI 0.42, 1.00) for vitamin B12. Validity coefficients for serum fatty acids ranged from 0.22 to 0.67. Conclusion: This FFQ is a reliable tool for estimating intake of energy, macronutrients, folate and vitamin B12 among women in mid-pregnancy.

Background: Western diets may provide excess vitamin A, which is potentially toxic and could adversely affect respiratory health and counteract benefits from vitamin D. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine child asthma at age 7 y in relation to maternal intake of vitamins A and D during pregnancy, infant supplementation with these vitamins, and their potential interaction. Design: We studied 61,676 school-age children (born during 2002-2007) from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort with data on maternal total (food and supplement) nutrient intake in pregnancy (food-frequency questionnaire validated against biomarkers) and infant supplement use at age 6 mo (n = 54,142 children). Linkage with the Norwegian Prescription Database enabled near-complete follow-up (end of second quarter in 2015) for dispensed medications to classify asthma. We used log-binomial regression to calculate adjusted RRs (aRRs) for asthma with 95% CIs. Results: Asthma increased according to maternal intake of total vitamin A [retinol activity equivalents (RAEs)] in the highest (≥2031 RAEs/d) compared with the lowest (≤779 RAEs/d) quintile (aRR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.40) and decreased for total vitamin D in the highest (≥13.6 µg/d) compared with the lowest (≤3.5 µg/d) quintile (aRR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.67, 0.97) during pregnancy. No association was observed for maternal intake in the highest quintiles of both nutrients (aRR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.83, 1.18) and infant supplementation with vitamin D or cod liver oil. Conclusions: Excess vitamin A (≥2.5 times the recommended intake) during pregnancy was associated with increased risk, whereas vitamin D intake close to recommendations was associated with a reduced risk of asthma in school-age children. No association for high intakes of both nutrients suggests antagonistic effects of vitamins A and D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescent diet is thought to play an important role in future chronic disease risk. However, few studies have examined the reproducibility of adult-reported adolescent diet, and evidence for possible differences in reproducibility by demographic characteristics is limited.Objective: We assessed the ability of adults to consistently report past high school diet over a 1-y period and examined differences in reproducibility by selected demographic characteristics.Methods: By using age-adjusted partial Spearman (ρ) or Pearson (r) correlations, we assessed 1-y reproducibility for 33 line items, 20 food groups, and 2 dietary patterns of high school diet reported in adulthood via a questionnaire completed by 742 participants in the Cancer Prevention Study 3 (CPS-3) Diet Substudy.Results: Participants' median age was 53 y (range: 31-70 y), 65.2% were women, 59.8% were non-Hispanic white, 24.8% were non-Hispanic black, and 15.4% were Hispanic. The mean Spearman correlation assessing reproducibility across the 33 line items was 0.60 and ranged from 0.44 to 0.72, with no differences in mean correlations by age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, or body mass index (BMI). Reproducibility was similar across food groups (ρ = 0.62; range: 0.44-0.68), with differences by sex, ethnicity, age, or BMI observed for some food groups (e.g., sugar-sweetened beverages). Pearson correlations for the reproducibility of 2 major eating patterns, "fast food" and "whole food," were 0.73 and 0.72, respectively.Conclusion: These results show good 1-y reproducibility of assessed high school diet, as reported from memory in adulthood, by line item, food group, and dietary pattern, with noted differences by demographic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dietary patterns are often considered as one of the main causes of non-communicable diseases worldwide. It is of utmost importance to study dietary habits in developing countries since this work is scarce.Objective: To summarize the most recent research conducted in this field in African countries, namely the most used methodologies and tools.Methods: A systematic review was conducted on MEDLINE®/PubMed, aiming to identify scientific publications focused on studies of dietary intake of different African populations, in a ten-year period. Papers not written in English/Portuguese/Spanish, studies developed among African people but not developed in African countries, studies aiming to assess a particular nutrient/specific food/food toxin and studies that assessed dietary intake among children were excluded.Findings: Out of 99 included studies, the 24-hour recall and the food-frequency questionnaire were the most used dietary intake assessment tools, used to assess diet at an individual level. It was also observed that often country-unspecific food composition databases are used, and the methodologies employed are poorly validated and standardized.Conclusions: There is an emergent need to improve the existing food databases by updating food data and to develop suitable country-specific databases for those that do not have their own food composition table. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A limited number of studies have evaluated selfreported dietary intakes against objective recovery biomarkers. Objective: The aim was to compare dietary intakes of multiple Automated Self-Administered 24-h recalls (ASA24s), 4-d food records (4DFRs), and food-frequency questionnaires (FFQs) against recovery biomarkers and to estimate the prevalence of under- and overreporting. Design: Over 12 mo, 530 men and 545 women, aged 50-74 y, were asked to complete 6 ASA24s (2011 version), 2 unweighed 4DFRs, 2 FFQs, two 24-h urine collections (biomarkers for protein, potassium, and sodium intakes), and 1 administration of doubly labeled water (biomarker for energy intake). Absolute and density-based energyadjusted nutrient intakes were calculated. The prevalence of underand overreporting of self-report against biomarkers was estimated. Results: Ninety-two percent of men and 87% of women completed =3 ASA24s (mean ASA24s completed: 5.4 and 5.1 for men and women, respectively). Absolute intakes of energy, protein, potassium, and sodium assessed by all self-reported instruments were systematically lower than those from recovery biomarkers, with underreporting greater for energy than for other nutrients. On average, compared with the energy biomarker, intake was underestimated by 15-17% on ASA24s, 18-21% on 4DFRs, and 29-34% on FFQs. Underreporting was more prevalent on FFQs than on ASA24s and 4DFRs and among obese individuals. Mean protein and sodium densities on ASA24s, 4DFRs, and FFQs were similar to biomarker values, but potassium density on FFQs was 26-40% higher, leading to a substantial increase in the prevalence of overreporting compared with absolute potassium intake. Conclusions: Although misreporting is present in all self-report dietary assessment tools, multiple ASA24s and a 4DFR provided the best estimates of absolute dietary intakes for these few nutrients and outperformed FFQs. Energy adjustment improved estimates from FFQs for protein and sodium but not for potassium. The ASA24, which now can be used to collect both recalls and records, is a feasible means to collect dietary data for nutrition research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The assessment of food intake is challenging and prone to errors; it is therefore important to consider the reliability and validity of the assessment methods. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the reproducibility and validity of a developed food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for use among adolescents. Design: In total, 58 students (aged 13–14) from four different schools in the southern part of Norway participated in the reproducibility study of filling out the FFQ 4 weeks apart. In addition, 93 students participated in the relative validity study where the FFQ was compared to 2×24-hour dietary recalls, while 92 students participated in the absolute validity study where the intakes of fatty acids and vitamin D from the FFQ were compared to fatty acids and 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 in whole blood. Results: The median Spearman correlation coefficient for all nutrients in the test–retest reliability study was 0.57. The median Spearman correlation for all nutrients in the relative validity study was 0.26, while the correlations coefficients were low in the absolute validity study with n-3 fatty acid coefficients ranging from 0.05 to 0.25, and absent for vitamin D (r=0.000). Conclusion: The test–retest reproducibility was considered good, the relative validity was considered poor to good, and the absolute validity was considered poor. However, the results are comparable to other studies among adolescents.

Background: Flavonoids are bioactive polyphenolic compounds found in fruits, vegetables, and beverages of plant origin. Previous studies have shown that flavonoid intake reduces the risk of certain cancers; however, few studies to date have examined associations of flavonoids with upper gastrointestinal cancers or used prospective cohorts.Objective: Our study examined the association between intake of flavonoids (anthocyanidins, flavan-3-ols, flavanones, flavones, flavonols, and isoflavones) and risk of head and neck, esophageal, and gastric cancers.Methods: The NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study is a prospective cohort study that consists of 469,008 participants. Over a mean 12-y follow-up, 2453 head and neck (including 1078 oral cavity, 424 pharyngeal, and 817 laryngeal), 1165 esophageal (890 adenocarcinoma and 275 squamous cell carcinoma), and 1297 gastric (625 cardia and 672 noncardia) cancer cases were identified. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate HRs and CIs for the associations between flavonoid intake assessed at study baseline and cancer outcomes. For 56 hypotheses examined, P-trend values were adjusted using the Benjamini-Hochberg (BH) procedure for false discovery rate control.Results: The highest quintile of total flavonoid intake was associated with a 24% lower risk of head and neck cancer (HR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.86; BH-adjusted 95% CI: 0.63, 0.91; P-trend = 0.02) compared with the lowest quintile. Notably, anthocyanidins were associated with a 28% lower risk of head and neck cancer (HR: 0.72; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.82; BH-adjusted 95% CI: 0.59, 0.87; P-trend = 0.0005), and flavanones were associated with a 22% lower risk of head and neck cancer (HR: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.68, 0.89; BH-adjusted 95% CI: 0.64, 0.94; P-trend: 0.02). No associations between flavonoid intake and risk of esophageal or gastric cancers were found.Conclusions: Our results indicate that flavonoid intake is associated with lower head and neck cancer risk. These associations suggest a protective effect of dietary flavonoids on head and neck cancer risk, and thus potential as a risk reduction strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The relation between α-linolenic acid (ALA), a plant-derived omega-3 (n-3) fatty acid, and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is unclear. European researchers reported that ≤40% of ALA can be present as trans forms. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the associations between intake of ALA and intermediate and advanced AMD. Design: Seventy-five thousand eight hundred eighty-nine women from the Nurses' Health Study and 38,961 men from Health Professionals Follow-Up Study were followed up from 1984 to 2012 and from 1986 to 2010, respectively. We assessed dietary intake by a validated food-frequency questionnaire at baseline and every 4 y thereafter. One thousand five hundred eighty-nine incident intermediate and 1356 advanced AMD cases (primarily neovascular AMD) were confirmed by medical record review. Results: The multivariable-adjusted HR for intermediate AMD comparing ALA intake at the top quintile to the bottom quintile was 1.28 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.56; P-trend = 0.01) in the analyses combining 2 cohorts. The HR in each cohort was in the positive direction but reached statistical significance only in the women. However, the positive association was apparent only in the pre-2002 era in each cohort and not afterward (P-time interaction = 0.003). ALA intake was not associated with advanced AMD in either time period. Using gas-liquid chromatography, we identified both cis ALA (mean ± SD: 0.13% ± 0.04%) and trans ALA isomers (0.05% ± 0.01%) in 395 erythrocyte samples collected in 1989-1990. In stepwise regression models, mayonnaise was the leading predictor of erythrocyte concentrations of cis ALA and one isomer of trans ALA. We also found trans ALA in mayonnaise samples. Conclusions: A high intake of ALA was associated with an increased risk of intermediate AMD before 2002 but not afterward. The period before 2002 coincides with the same time period when trans ALA was found in food and participants' blood; this finding deserves further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is evident that social and behavioural factors influence on individuals' general health and quality of life. Nevertheless, information about the influence of dietary habits on oral health-related quality of life is limited; especially among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of this study was to examine the influence of dietary habits and clinical oral health indicators on oral health-related quality of life in individuals with and without T2D.Methods: A total of 149 T2D cases and 298 controls were recruited for this age and gender matched case-control study. Questionnaire-guided interviews were conducted to collect data about socio-demographic characteristics, consumption of food items per week (milk, meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, sweets and bread) and oral impact on daily performance (OIDP). Plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth, tooth mobility, decayed, missing and filled teeth index (DMFT) and root caries were recorded.Results: Difficulty with eating and sleeping were more frequently reported by T2D cases (23.5% and 16.1%, respectively) than by the controls (10.7% and 5.0%, respectively) (P < 0.01). After adjusting for diabetic status, plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth, tooth mobility, root caries, and missing teeth, those with high consumption of milk and sweets, were more likely than those with low consumption to report any oral impact (OIDP > 0). The corresponding ORs were 1.23 (1.01-4.89) and 2.10 (1.08-4.09), respectively. Participants with low consumption of meat and vegetables were more likely than their counterparts with high consumption to report any oral impact. The corresponding ORs were 0.46 (0.25-0.83) and 0.38 (0.17-0.87), respectively. There was a significant interaction between diabetic status and meat consumption as well as between diabetic status and bread consumption.Conclusions: Oral impacts were more frequently reported in T2D cases than controls. Independent of diabetic- and oral clinical status, dietary habits discriminated between individuals with and without oral impacts. The influence of meat and bread consumption on OIDP varied significantly according to T2D status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the study was to identify the ethnic differences in dietary patterns and its association with socio-economic, dietary and lifestyle practices among adolescents in Kelantan, Malaysia. Methods: A population-based study of 454 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years was included. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary patterns and three dietary patterns were identified based on the principal component analysis method. Results: Malay adolescents had significantly higher scores for the Western-based food pattern and local-based food pattern, whereas Chinese adolescents showed higher scores for the healthy-based food pattern. Multivariate analyses show that age and physical activity (PA) levels were positively associated with healthy-based food pattern in Malay (All, p < 0.001), whereas higher consumption of eating-out from home (EatOut) (p = 0.014) and fast food (p = 0.041) were negatively associated. High weekly breakfast skipping (p < 0.001) and EatOut (p = 0.003) were positively associated with a Western-based pattern, whereas age (p < 0.001) and household income (p = 0.005) were negatively associated. Higher frequency of daily snacking (p = 0.013) was positively associated with local-based food pattern. For Chinese adolescents, age (p < 0.001), PA levels (p < 0.001) and maternal education level (p = 0.035) showed positive associations with the healthy-based pattern, whereas high EatOut (p = 0.001) and fast food intakes (p = 0.001) were negatively associated. Higher weekly consumption of EatOut (p = 0.007), fast food (p = 0.023) and carbonated beverages (p = 0.023), and daily snacking practice (p = 0.004) were positively associated with higher Western-based food pattern, whereas age (p = 0.004) was inversely associated. Conclusion: This study showed that there were significant differences in dietary patterns and its association factors between Malay and Chinese adolescents. More importantly, these findings suggest that unhealthy dietary and lifestyle practices could increase the risk of adherence to unhealthy Western-based food pattern that is high in fat, sugar and salt contents, and, consequently, increase the risk of developing obesity and metabolic-related disorders during these critical years of growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate dietary assessment is key to understanding nutrition-related outcomes and is essential for estimating dietary change in nutrition-based interventions.Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the pan-European reproducibility of the Food4Me food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in assessing the habitual diet of adults.Methods: Participants from the Food4Me study, a 6-mo, Internet-based, randomized controlled trial of personalized nutrition conducted in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Netherlands, Germany, Greece, and Poland, were included. Screening and baseline data (both collected before commencement of the intervention) were used in the present analyses, and participants were included only if they completed FFQs at screening and at baseline within a 1-mo timeframe before the commencement of the intervention. Sociodemographic (e.g., sex and country) and lifestyle [e.g., body mass index (BMI, in kg/m(2)) and physical activity] characteristics were collected. Linear regression, correlation coefficients, concordance (percentage) in quartile classification, and Bland-Altman plots for daily intakes were used to assess reproducibility.Results: In total, 567 participants (59% female), with a mean ± SD age of 38.7 ± 13.4 y and BMI of 25.4 ± 4.8, completed both FFQs within 1 mo (mean ± SD: 19.2 ± 6.2 d). Exact plus adjacent classification of total energy intake in participants was highest in Ireland (94%) and lowest in Poland (81%). Spearman correlation coefficients (ρ) in total energy intake between FFQs ranged from 0.50 for obese participants to 0.68 and 0.60 in normal-weight and overweight participants, respectively. Bland-Altman plots showed a mean difference between FFQs of 210 kcal/d, with the agreement deteriorating as energy intakes increased. There was little variation in reproducibility of total energy intakes between sex and age groups.Conclusions: The online Food4Me FFQ was shown to be reproducible across 7 European countries when administered within a 1-mo period to a large number of participants. The results support the utility of the online Food4Me FFQ as a reproducible tool across multiple European populations. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01530139. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was designed to assess the average consumption frequency of food items and to characterize the food pattern among workers. A list of consumed food and usual serving sizes was compiled from previous local survey, using single 24 hours dietary recalls and frequency questionnaires. The list was composed of 127 items and the nutrient composition was calculated by the computer program DietPro version 3.0. The FFQ was administered to each subject twice in a period of six months. To characterize food pattern consumption, the most frequently mentioned foods were identified. One hundred and four (104) workers were studied, randomly selected. Items consumed at least once a day by 50% of the workers were: white bread, margarine, black coffee, white sugar, red beans and white rice. Variety of daily consumed foods was small. The top 30 foods on a daily basis ranged from less than 1.5 to 92%. This FFQ is easy to administer when studying the dietary intake of low-income populations.Um questionário de freqüência de consumo alimentar (QFA) foi planejado para avaliar a freqüência média de consumo de alguns alimentos e caracterizar o padrão alimentar entre os trabalhadores. Uma lista de alimentos consumidos e as porções servidas, usualmente, foram obtidas através de prévias entrevistas locais, usando-se orecordatório de 24 horas e o questionário de freqüência. Uma lista foi elaborada com 127 alimentos e a composição nutricional foi calculada utilizando-se o programa DietPro versão 3.0. O QFA foiaplicado, por duas vezes, em cada indivíduo num período de seis meses. Para caracterizar o padrão de consumo alimentar, os alimentos mais freqüentemente mencionados foram identificados. Foram estudados 104 trabalhadores selecionados ao acaso. Os itens consumidos, no mínimo uma vez ao dia, por 50% dos trabalhadores foram o pão branco, margarina, café preto, açúcar branco, feijão roxinho e arroz branco. A variedade dos alimentos diariamente consumidos foi pequena. Os 30principais alimentos básicos diários variaram de menos que 1,5 a 92%. Este questionário é um instrumento de fácil aplicação para estudar o consumo alimentar de população semelhante ao do presente trabalho.

Background: Low 24-h urinary potassium excretion, reflecting low potassium intake, is associated with premature mortality in the general population., Objectives: To determine whether urinary potassium excretion is associated with all-cause mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes., Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study in 654 patients with type 2 diabetes in the Diabetes and Lifestyle Cohort Twente (DIALECT). Sex-specific tertiles of 24-h urinary potassium excretion were analyzed in a multivariable Cox regression model with all-cause mortality. The outpatient program of the hospital uses a continuous surveillance system by the municipal registry of death to ensure up-to-date information on the patient's status (alive or deceased). FFQs were used to study associations between urinary potassium excretion and food products., Results: Urinary potassium excretion at baseline was 84 ± 25 mmol/d in males and 65 ± 22 mmol/d in females, corresponding to estimated potassium intakes of 4250 ± 1270 mg/d and 3300 ± 875 mg/d. During a median follow-up of 5.2 (IQR: 2.7-7.9] y, 96 participants died. In a fully adjusted model, patients in the lowest sex-specific tertile had a higher risk of all-cause mortality, compared with patients in the highest sex-specific tertile (HR: 2.09; 95% CI: 1.06, 4.10; P = 0.03). Patients in the lowest sex-specific tertile consumed fewer fruits and vegetables, dairy, coffee, and potato products compared with patients in the highest sex-specific tertile (all P < 0.05)., Conclusions: Low potassium intake is associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality in Dutch patients with type 2 diabetes. Intervention studies are needed to determine whether potassium supplementation improves longevity in patients with type 2 diabetes. This trial was registered in the Dutch Trial Register as NTR trial code 5855., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society for Nutrition.)