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Arthritis is associated with health challenges. Lifestyle traits are believed to influence arthritis development and progression; however, data to support personalized treatment regimens based on holistic lifestyle factors are missing. This study aims to provide a comprehensive list of associations between lifestyle traits and the health status of individuals with arthritis in the Canadian population, using binary logistic regression analysis on data from the Canadian Community Health Survey, which includes 104,359 respondents. Firstly, we explored the association between arthritis and various aspects of health status including self-reported lifestyle factors. Secondly, we examined the associations between self-reported dietary intake and smoking status with general, mental, and oral health, and sleep disturbance among individuals both with and without arthritis. Our analysis revealed that individuals with arthritis reported considerably poorer general, mental, and oral health, and poorer sleep quality compared to those without arthritis. Associations were also found between self-reported dietary intake and various measures of health status in individuals with arthritis. Smoking and exposure to passive smoking were associated not only with arthritis but also with compromised sleep quality and poorer general, mental, and oral health in people with and without arthritis. This study highlights the need for personalized and holistic approaches that may include a combination of dietary interventions, oral health improvements, sleep therapies, and smoking cessation for improved arthritis prevention and care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundFirst-year university students are at an increased risk for developing mental health issues and a poor nutritional status. Self-care plays an essential role in optimizing mental health and can prevent or manage stress, anxiety, and depression. Web-based self-monitoring of diet and physical activity can lead to similar or improved health outcomes compared with conventional methods. Such tools are also popular among university students. ObjectiveThe primary aim of this 12-week randomized controlled trial is to assess the impact of a web-based wellness platform on perceived stress among first-year university students. The secondary aim is to assess the effects of the platform on diet quality. The exploratory objectives are to explore the effects of the platform on body composition, health-related quality of life, mindfulness, mental well-being, and physical activity. MethodsA total of 97 first-year undergraduate students were randomized to either the intervention (n=48) or control (n=49) group. The intervention consisted of access to a web-based platform called My Viva Plan (MVP), which aims to support healthy living by focusing on the topics of mindfulness, nutrition, and physical activity. The platform is fully automated and guided by the principles of cognitive behavioral theory. Participants in the intervention group were instructed to use the MVP as frequently as possible over 12 weeks. The control group did not receive access to MVP. Perceived stress was assessed using the Stress Indicators Questionnaire at baseline, week 6, and week 12. Three-day food records were used to analyze the dietary intake at baseline and week 12. Health-related quality of life, mindfulness, mental well-being, and physical activity questionnaires were completed at baseline, week 6, and week 12. Body composition was assessed at baseline and week 12. Study assessments were completed in person at baseline and week 12 and electronically at week 6. ResultsStudy recruitment started in August 2018, with batch enrollment for students registered in the fall (September 2018 to December 2018) and winter (January 2019 to April 2019) academic terms at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta. ConclusionsThis study is the first to explore the impact of a web-based platform designed to promote health and wellness on perceived stress and diet quality among first-year university students. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT03579264; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03579264. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/24534

The article evaluates eaTracker, an online nutrition and activity self-monitoring tool from Dietitians of Canada that is accessed through the organization's website and as a mobile application.

Background: Promoting pulse consumption in schools could improve students' healthy food choices. Pulses, described as legumes, are rich in protein and micronutrients and are an important food choice for health and well-being. However, most Canadians consume very little pulse-based food., Objective: This pilot study sought to investigate outcomes of a teacher-led, school-based food literacy intervention focused on the Pulses Make Perfect Sense (PMPS) program in 2 high schools in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan., Methods: Both high schools were selected using a convenience sampling technique and have similar sociodemographic characteristics. The mean age of students was 16 years. The intervention comprised 7 key themes focused on pulses, which included defining pulses; health and nutritional benefits of pulses; incorporating pulses into meals; the role of pulses in reducing environmental stressors, food insecurity, and malnutrition; product development; taste testing and sensory analysis; and pulses around the world. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers regarding pulse consumption in students at baseline and study end. Teachers were interviewed at the end of the intervention. Descriptive statistics and the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test were used for analysis., Results: In total, 41 and 32 students participated in the baseline and study-end assessments, respectively. At baseline, the median knowledge score was 9, attitude score was 6, and barrier score was 0. At study end, the median knowledge score was 10, attitude score was 7, and barrier score was 1. A lower score for barriers indicated fewer barriers to pulse consumption. There was a significant difference between baseline and study-end scores in knowledge (P<.05). Barriers to pulse consumption included parents not cooking or consuming pulses at home, participants not liking the taste of pulses, and participants often preferring other food choices over pulses. The teachers indicated that the pulse food-literacy teaching resources were informative, locally available, and easy to use., Conclusions: Despite the improvements in knowledge, attitude, and practice, pulse consumption did not change significantly at the end of the intervention. Future studies with larger samples are needed to determine the impact of PMPS on knowledge, attitude, and practice of high school students., (©Getenesh Berhanu Teshome, Hiwot Abebe Haileslassie, Phyllis Shand, Yun Lin, Jessica R L Lieffers, Carol Henry. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 31.05.2023.)

Background: My Viva Plan (MVP) (https://www.myvivainc.com/) is a web-based application developed by a dietitian that aims to support healthy living by providing resources and self-monitoring tools to help promote a healthy diet, healthy mind, and physical fitness. First-year university students have the potential to benefit because poor dietary choices, limited physical activity, and high stress are prevalent in this population. In addition, they are also active technology users., Objective: This study aims to understand experiences and perception of MVP by first-year university students using this tool as part of a 12-week randomized controlled trial., Design: One-on-one semistructured interviews were conducted following a 12-week intervention involving use of MVP., Participants/setting: First-year university students from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada (n = 32)., Intervention: Participants were instructed to use MVP as much as possible for 12 weeks in either the fall/2018 or winter/2019 semesters., Qualitative Data Analysis: Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed abductively using content analysis., Results: Participants reported varied use of MVP across the 12-week period. Data were categorized using the HealthChange Methodology (Behaviors, Emotions, 37 Situations, Thinking) framework. Participants provided various examples of emotions (eg, motivation, stress), situations (eg, time, living arrangements, finances), and thinking (eg, self-awareness, level of satisfaction with MVP, and how MVP was or could be better tailored for students) that acted as either facilitators or barriers to MVP use and explained their behaviors associated with this tool., Conclusions: Overall, participant behaviors regarding MVP varied and were influenced by several factors, including their emotions, situations, and thinking. The Behaviors, Emotions, Situations, Thinking framework may be helpful for dietitians to identify barriers and facilitators affecting their client's use of ehealth tools for lifestyle behavior change. This information can be used to optimize client support when using these tools., (Copyright © 2021 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To examine the association between the cost and quality of diets of grade 5 children in Alberta, Canada., Methods: We used survey data of 2731 grade 5 students (10-11 years of age), collected between March and June 2014. This survey included the Harvard Youth Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire which captures information on intake of 147 food items. On the basis of these food items, we calculated the diet quality, using the Diet Quality Index-International (DQI) and Canada's Food Guide, and costs by accessing prices from four Canadian grocery retailers. We applied linear regression to determine the association of diet quality with costs., Results: We estimated the cost of a child's diet to be CAD $13.19 per day. For the 12% of children with a low diet quality, these costs were $12.12 and for the 66% of children with moderate and 22% with high diet quality, these costs were $13.27 and $13.51, respectively. For every one-unit increase in DQI, the cost of the diet increased by seven cents per day. Diets that met the recommendations for vegetables and fruit and for meat and alternatives were respectively 53 cents and $1.39 higher relative to diets not meeting these recommendations. Costs for unessential food items constituted $1.39 per day., Conclusion: We observed a gradient whereby diets of better quality are costlier. For low-income households, this may lead to a genuine barrier to healthy eating. Initiatives that target unhealthy unessential foods may create the financial space for households to purchase pricier healthier options. Such initiatives may also alleviate future health care costs.

Background: eaTracker ® is Dietitians of Canada's online nutrition/activity self-monitoring tool accessible via website and mobile app. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the eaTracker ® mobile app based on user perspectives., Methods: One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult eaTracker ® mobile app users who had used the app for ≥ 1 week within the past 90 days. Participants ( n = 26; 89% female, 73% 18⁻50 years) were recruited via email. Interview transcripts were coded using first level coding and pattern coding, where first level codes were grouped according to common themes., Results: Participants mentioned several positive aspects of the mobile app which included: (a) Dashboard displays; (b) backed by dietitians; (c) convenience and ease of use; (d) portion size entry; (e) inclusion of food and physical activity recording; and (f) ability to access more comprehensive information via the eaTracker ® website. Challenges with the mobile app included: (a) Search feature; (b) limited food database; (c) differences in mobile app versus website; and (d) inability to customize dashboard displayed information. Suggestions were provided to enhance the app., Conclusion: This evaluation provides useful information to improve the eaTracker ® mobile app and also for those looking to develop apps to facilitate positive nutrition/physical activity behavior change.

Background: Nutrition mobile apps have become accessible and popular weight-management tools available to the general public. To date, much of the research has focused on quantitative outcomes with these tools (eg, weight loss); little is known about user experiences and perceptions of these tools when used outside of a research trial environment., Objective: Our aim was to understand the experiences and perceptions of adult volunteers who have used publicly available mobile apps to support nutrition behavior change for weight management., Design: We conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with individuals who reported using nutrition mobile apps for weight management outside of a research setting., Participants/setting: Twenty-four healthy adults (n=19 females, n=5 males) who had used publicly available nutrition mobile apps for weight management for ≥1 week within the past 3 to 4 months were recruited from the community in southern Ontario and Edmonton, Canada, using different methods (eg, social media, posters, and word of mouth)., Qualitative Data Analysis: Interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were verified against recordings. Data were coded inductively and organized into categories using NVivo, version 10 (QSR International)., Results: Participants used nutrition apps for various amounts of time (mean=approximately 14 months). Varied nutrition apps were used; however, MyFitnessPal was the most common. In the interviews, the following four categories of experiences with nutrition apps became apparent: food data entry (database, data entry methods, portion size, and complex foods); accountability, feedback, and progress (goal setting, accountability, monitoring, and feedback); technical and app-related factors; and personal factors (self-motivation, privacy, knowledge, and obsession). Most participants used apps without professional or dietitian support., Conclusions: This work reveals that numerous factors affect use and ongoing adherence to use of nutrition mobile apps. These data are relevant to professionals looking to better assist individuals using these tools, as well as developers looking to develop new and improved apps., (Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)