Mainstreaming prevention: Prescribing fruit and vegetables as a brief intervention in primary care

This is the author's PDF version of an article published in Public health© 2005.This articles discusses a project at the Castlefields Health Centre in Halton whereby primary care professionals issue a prescription for discounts on fruit and vegetables. The prescription is explicitly linked to the five-a-day message

Food supplementation among HIV-infected adults in Sub-Saharan Africa: Impact on treatment adherence and weight gain

This is the author's manuscript of an article published in the Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest proportion of undernourished people in the world, along with the highest number of people living with HIV and AIDS. Thus, as a result of high levels of food insecurity many HIV patients are also undernourished. The synergism between HIV and undernutrition leads to poor treatment adherence and high mortality rates. Undernutrition has a debilitating effect on the immune system due to key nutrient deficiencies and the overproduction of reactive species (oxidative stress), which causes rapid HIV progression and the onset of AIDS. Therapeutic food supplementation used in the treatment of severe acute malnutrition is being applied to HIV palliative care; however, little biochemical data exist to highlight its impact on oxidative stress and immune recovery

Applying the Food Multimix concept for sustainable and nutritious diets

Background: Despite a rich and diverse ecosystem and biodiversity, worldwide, more than 2 billion people suffer from micronutrient malnutrition or hidden hunger. Of major concern are a degradation of our ecosystems and agricultural systems which are thought to be unsustainable thereby posing a challenge for the future food and nutrition security. Despite these challenges, nutrition security and ensuring well balanced diets depend on sound knowledge and appropriate food choices in a complex world of plenty and want. We have previously reported on how the food multimix (FMM) concept, a food-based and dietary diversification approach can be applied to meeting energy and micronutrient needs of vulnerable groups through an empirical process. Our objective in this article is to examine how the concept can be applied to improve nutrition in a sustainable way in otherwise poor and hard-to-reach communities. We have reviewed over 100 FMM food recipes formulated from combinations of commonly consumed traditional candidate food ingredients; on average five per recipe, and packaged as per 100 g powders from different countries including Ghana, Kenya, Botswana, Zimbabawe and Southern Africa, India, Mexico, Malaysia and United Kingdom; and for different age groups and conditions such as older infants and young children, pregnant women, HIV patients, diabetes and for nutrition rehabilitation. Candidate foods were examined for their nutrient strengths and nutrient content and nutrient density of recipes per 100 g were compared to reference nutrient intakes (RNIs) for the different population groups. We report on the nutrient profiles from our analysis of the pooled and age-matched data as well as sensory analysis and conclude that locally produced FMM foods can complement local diets and contribute significantly to meeting nutrient needs among vulnerable groups in food-insecure environments. Key words: food multimix, candidate foods, sustainable, food security, resource-poor, nutrition interventions

A Healthy Food Supplementation Programme: A Pilot Study in Nepal

Poster based on pilot study by Bournemouth University PhD student Jib Achary

Impact of Healthy Snacks on Children’s Health: An Overview of Pilot Study

Background: Preschool-aged children of disadvantaged households in Nepal have a higher prevalence rate of undernutrition. The major contributing reasons are the inadequate maternal knowledge, existing taboos, and unscientific food recommendation practices. Objective: This pilot study aimed: • to evaluates the impact of the rice pudding feeding programme on child health. • to calculate the costs of the preparation. Methods: The study recruited children aged under-five who attended a day-care centre in the remote area of Nepal. Child weight, height, and MUAC (Mid-Upper Arm Circumference) were recorded before and after the rice pudding programme which lasted for 54 days. Data were analysed using SPSS software version 22.0. Results: Of the 42 children, 18 were boys (43%) and 24 were girls (57%), 90% gained the weight whilst the weight of the remaining 10% of children stayed constant. Similarly, 55% of the children had grown in height and 78% had increased MUAC while 12% of children had slight increment. The estimated cost was USD 0.34 per day per child. Conclusions: Regular healthy diet fulfils children’s nutritional need. It is important to consider the right dietary practice, including portion sizes, and community awareness about healthy diet and its impact on children’s health as well as sustainability of the provisions. The study was inexpensive and likely to be cost-effective

Decreasing Physical Activity Levels across Religious Sikh Male South Asian Migrant Population in Kent, UK: A Public Health Concern

Physical activity (PA) plays a crucial role in reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). We investigated intergenerational physical activity level (PAL) among first and second generation Sikh Punjabi male subjects (n = 137), recruited from two Sikh temples in Medway, UK. Employing a crosssectional survey PA was quantified using the validated Global PA Questionnaire (GPAQ). Data were analysed using SPSS 20 and Epi Info software. Ninety-one per cent of the subjects were classified as overweight. Mean PAL range was sedentary to low levels of PA (1.45–1.60). Comparisons between first and second generation Punjabi male subjects showed that the two groups are equally culpable in not engaging in work-related or recreational PA, but for the second generation this is significantly lower. Low PAL is a contributory factor to increased risk and prevalence of NCDs among this population and a public health concern. Efforts to increase PA in this group should continue