Relationship between growth and feeding in infancy and body mass index at the age of 6 years

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links fieldOBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between size and growth measurements in infancy to body mass index (BMI) at 6 y. DESIGN: A longitudinal observation study on randomly chosen infants' growth and consumption in infancy. Follow-up until the age of 6 y. SUBJECTS: A total of 90 children who were born healthy and full-term. MEASUREMENTS: Weight and height were measured at maternity wards and healthcare centers in Iceland throughout infancy and at 6 y. Food records were made every month during infancy. At 2, 4, 6, 9 and 12 months, food was weighed to calculate food and nutrient intake. RESULTS: Weight gain from birth to 12 months as a ratio of birth weight was positively related to BMI at the age of 6 y in both genders (B=2.9+/-1.0, P=0.008, and B=2.0+/-0.9, P=0.032 for boys and girls, respectively). Boys in the highest quartile of protein intake (E%) at the age of 9-12 months had significantly higher BMI (17.8+/-2.4 kg/m(2)) at 6 y than the lowest (15.6+/-1.0 kg/m(2), P=0.039) and the second lowest (15.3+/-0.8 kg/m(2), P=0.01) quartile. Energy intake was not different between groups. Together, weight gain at 0-12 months and protein intake at 9-12 months explained 50% of the variance in BMI among 6-y-old boys. CONCLUSION: Rapid growth during the first year of life is associated with increased BMI at the age of 6 y in both genders. In boys, high intake of protein in infancy could also contribute to childhood obesity

Iodine status of adolescent girls in a population changing from high to lower fish consumption

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links fieldObjectives:During the last decades, fish and milk consumption has decreased considerably in Iceland, especially among adolescents. As these food items are important dietary iodine (I) sources, the aim of the study was to assess the iodine status and dietary pattern of adolescent girls in a population changing from a high to lower consumption of milk and fish.Subjects/Methods:Subjects were randomly selected adolescent girls (16-20 years old, n=112). A validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used to evaluate food consumption and compare it with food-based dietary guidelines for milk and dairy products (2-3 portions/day) and fish (>/=2 times/week). Urine samples were collected for measuring urinary iodine (U-I) and creatinine (Cr) and blood samples for measuring serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH).Results:Milk and dairy products provided 43% and fish provided 24% of the total dietary I. More than 65% of the girls consumed fish less than twice a week, and 40% consumed less than two portions of milk and dairy products per day. The median U-I concentration was 200 mug/l and the U-I/Cr ratio 138 mug I/g Cr. High intake of milk was associated with higher urinary iodine concentration, but fish intake was not found to be directly associated with urinary iodine concentration.Conclusions:Iodine status of Icelandic adolescent girls is within the optimal range defined by the World Health Organization. It is important to monitor both iodine status and the iodine concentration of important sources of iodine, as both dietary habits and composition of food might change with time

Association between exposure to crystalline silica and risk of sarcoidosis.

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links fieldOBJECTIVES: The possibility of an association between exposure to silica and autoimmune diseases has recently come under discussion. In the following case-referent study, a cohort exposed to diatomaceous earth and cristobalite provided an opportunity to evaluate such an exposure with reference to sarcoidosis. METHODS: The inhabitants of a district served by a single healthcare centre and a hospital formed the study base. A diatomaceous earth plant is located in this community and the medical institutions are responsible for primary and secondary health care of the population. Cases of sarcoidosis were identified from the hospital records according to certain clinical, radiological, and histological criteria. Referents were selected randomly from the population of the district. Information on exposure to crystalline silica, cristobalite, was obtained by record linkage of the cases and referents with a file which included all present and past workers at the diatomaceous earth plant and those who had worked at loading vessels with the product from the plant. RESULTS: Eight cases of sarcoidosis were found, six of which were in the exposed group. Of the 70 referents, 13 were exposed. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 13.2 (2.0 to 140.9). CONCLUSION: The odds ratios were high and there were some indications of a dose-response relation which will hopefully encourage further studies. To our knowledge this is the first study to indicate a relation between sarcoidosis and exposure to the crystalline silica, cristobalite

Maternal body mass index, duration of exclusive breastfeeding and children's developmental status at the age of 6 years

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links fieldOBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the duration of exclusive breastfeeding and maternal body mass index (BMI) are associated with children's developmental status at the time of beginning elementary school. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: The subjects in the sample came from a longitudinal study on infant nutrition in Iceland. Food records were made once a month from birth to the age of 12 months, from which duration of exclusive breastfeeding could be determined. Mothers filled in The Icelandic developmental inventory for evaluation of motor and verbal development close to their children's sixth birthday (n = 85). Maternal self-reported weight and height was recorded. Information on socioeconomic factors was gathered by a questionnaire. RESULTS: Duration of exclusive breastfeeding, in months, was positively related to children's motor component (B = 0.5+/-0.5, P = 0.054) and to the total developmental index (B = 1.0+/-0.5, P = 0.044) at 6 y, adjusting for gender and socioeconomic factors (maternal and paternal education, and family income). Children's learning score was negatively related to maternal BMI (B = -0.5+/-0.2, P=0.047). An inverse association also appeared between maternal BMI and two out of the three developmental composite scores, that is, verbal component and the total developmental index (B = -0.6+/-0.3, P=0.049) and (B = -0.4+/-0.2, P=0.057), respectively. In multiple regression the developmental indexes were most strongly independently associated with maternal BMI (negatively) and infants' birth weight (positively). CONCLUSION: Maternal BMI and duration of breastfeeding were associated with verbal and motor development of 6-y-old children, independent of socioeconomic factors. Birth weight was also an independent determinant for developmental scores

Association between size at birth, truncal fat and obesity in adult life and its contribution to blood pressure and coronary heart disease; study in a high birth weight population.

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links fieldOBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between size at birth and obesity as well as truncal fat, and its contribution to cardiovascular risk in a high birth weight population. DESIGN: Cohort-study with retrospectively collected data on size at birth. SETTING: Reykjavik, Iceland. SUBJECTS: A total of 1874 men and 1833 women born in Reykjavik during 1914-1935. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Size at birth. Adult weight, height and skinfold thickness measurements, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease (CHD). RESULTS: Birth weight was positively related to adult body mass index (BMI) in both genders (B=0.35+/-0.14 kg/m(2), adj. R(2)=0.015, P=0.012 and B=0.34+/-0.17 kg/m(2), adj. R(2)=0.055, P=0.043 in men and women, respectively). However, high birth weight was not a risk factor for adult obesity (BMI>/=30 kg/m(2)). In the highest birth weight quartile, the odds ratio (95% CI) for being above the 90th percentile of truncal fat was 0.7 (0.6-1.0, P=0.021) for men and 0.4 (0.3-0.8, P=0.002) for women, compared with the lowest birth weight quartile. Truncal fat and BMI were positively related to blood pressure in both genders (P<0.05), but not to CHD. The regression coefficient for the inverse association between birth weight and blood pressure hardly changed when adding truncal fat to the model. CONCLUSION: In this high birth weight population, high birth weight was related to higher BMI in adulthood without being a risk factor for adult obesity. The inverse association between birth weight and truncal fat in adulthood suggests a role for foetal development in determining adult fat distribution. The inverse relationship of birth weight to blood pressure seems not to be mediated through the same pathway as to truncal fat

Inclusion of fish or fish oil in weight-loss diets for young adults: effects on blood lipids.

To access publisher full text version of this article. Please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links fieldOBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of fish (lean or oily) and fish oil consumption on blood lipid concentration during weight loss. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled 8-week trial of energy-restricted diet varying in fish and fish oil content. Subjects, 324 men and women, aged 20-40 years, body mass index 27.5-32.5 kg m(-2), from Iceland, Spain and Ireland, were randomized to one of four groups: (1) control (sunflower oil capsules, no seafood), (2) cod diet (3 x 150 g week(-1)), (3) salmon diet (3 x 150 g week(-1)), (4) fish oil (DHA/EPA capsules, no seafood). The macronutrient composition of the diets was similar between the groups and the capsule groups were single-blinded. MEASUREMENTS: Total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triacylglycerol (TG) and anthropometrics were measured at baseline and end point. RESULTS: The difference in logTG lowering between the control group and the cod diet, salmon diet and fish oil from baseline to end point was -0.036 (95% CI -0.079 to 0.006), -0.060 (-0.101 to -0.018) and -0.037 (-0.079 to 0.006), respectively. Reduction in TC was about 0.2 mmol l(-1) greater in the fish groups (cod and salmon) than in the control group, but only of borderline significance when adjusting for weight loss. HDL tended to decrease less in the diet groups consuming a significant amount of n-3 fatty acids (salmon and fish oil). CONCLUSION: Weight-loss diet including oily fish resulted in greater TG reduction than did a diet without fish or fish oil. Controlled trials using whole fish as a test meal are encouraged to be able to elucidate the role of different constituents of fish for human health

As a Matter of Factions: The Budgetary Implications of Shifting Factional Control in Japan’s LDP

For 38 years, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) maintained single-party control over the Japanese government. This lack of partisan turnover in government has frustrated attempts to explain Japanese government policy changes using political variables. In this paper, we look for intraparty changes that may have led to changes in Japanese budgetary policy. Using a simple model of agenda-setting, we hypothesize that changes in which intraparty factions “control” the LDP affect the party’s decisions over spending priorities systematically. This runs contrary to the received wisdom in the voluminous literature on LDP factions, which asserts that factions, whatever their raison d’être, do not exhibit different policy preferences. We find that strong correlations do exist between which factions comprise the agenda-setting party “mainstream” and how the government allocates spending across pork-barrel and public goods items

Nordic dietary surveys. Study designs, methods, results and use in food-based risk assessments

National dietary surveys have been completed in all five Nordic countries for purposes of nutritional assessment. The NORDIRA project started in 2009 with objectives of sharing experiences within collection of food consumption data and applications of it in food-based risk assessment. The NORDIRA-group consisted of experts working within dietary surveys as well within risk assessment. The project collected results and methodological aspects of national dietary surveys, the presentations of food consumption figures and data calculation processes of risk assessment. This TemaNord report is a summary of the presentations and experiences shared during the three year period of the NORDIRA project. The group emphasizes a flexible food aggregation system in reporting food consumption to enable different kind of matching of data from food consumption and occurence of chemical substances

Lower Intake of Saturated Fatty Acids Is Associated with Improved Lipid Profile in a 6-Year-Old Nationally Representative Population.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadTo strengthen the organization of new national dietary surveys and interventions in childhood, our aim was to study macronutrient intake and blood lipid profile at 6 years of age by comparing results from two earlier population-based cohorts. Subjects were n = 131 and n = 162 in the years 2001-2002 and 2011-2012, respectively. Three-day weighed food records were used to estimate diet and calculate nutrient intake. Total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triacylglycerol were measured in serum and LDL-cholesterol was calculated. The average intake of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and trans FA was lower in 2011-2012 than 2001-2002 (13.3E% vs. 14.7E%, p &lt; 0.001, and 0.8E% vs. 1.4E%, p &lt; 0.001, respectively), replaced by a higher intake of unsaturated fatty acids. Total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol were significantly lower in 2011-2012 than 2001-2002 (4.6 vs. 4.4 mmol/L, p = 0.003 and 2.8 vs. 2.5 mmol/L, p &lt; 0.001, respectively). In a multiple linear regression model, one E% increase in SFA intake was related to a 0.03 mmol/L increase in LDL cholesterol (p = 0.04). A lower intake of saturated and trans fatty acids, replaced by unsaturated fatty acids, may have contributed to an improved lipid profile in a healthy 6-year-old population. Biological data for analysis of blood lipids are important in national dietary surveys in healthy children to monitor important health outcomes of interventions

Development of a dietary screening questionnaire to predict excessive weight gain in pregnancy.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadExcessive gestational weight gain (GWG) is a risk factor for several adverse pregnancy outcomes, including macrosomia. Diet is one of the few modifiable risk factors identified. However, most dietary assessment methods are impractical for use in maternal care. This study evaluated whether a short dietary screening questionnaire could be used as a predictor of excessive GWG in a cohort of Icelandic women. The dietary data were collected in gestational weeks 11-14, using a 40-item food frequency screening questionnaire. The dietary data were transformed into 13 predefined dietary risk factors for an inadequate diet. Stepwise backward elimination was used to identify a reduced set of factors that best predicted excessive GWG. This set of variables was then used to calculate a combined dietary risk score (range 0-5). Information regarding outcomes, GWG (n = 1,326) and birth weight (n = 1,651), was extracted from maternal hospital records. In total, 36% had excessive GWG (Icelandic criteria), and 5% of infants were macrosomic (≥4,500 g). A high dietary risk score (characterized by a nonvaried diet, nonadequate frequency of consumption of fruits/vegetables, dairy, and whole grain intake, and excessive intake of sugar/artificially sweetened beverages and dairy) was associated with a higher risk of excessive GWG. Women with a high (≥4) versus low (≤2) risk score had higher risk of excessive GWG (relative risk = 1.23, 95% confidence interval, CI [1.002, 1.50]) and higher odds of delivering a macrosomic offspring (odds ratio = 2.20, 95% CI [1.14, 4.25]). The results indicate that asking simple questions about women's dietary intake early in pregnancy could identify women who should be prioritized for further dietary counselling and support.UoI Research Fund Technology Development Fund/The Icelandic Centre for Research (RANNIS