Early life nutrition and gastrointestinal and allergic outcomes: the Generation R Study

This thesis particularly focused on the outcomes of constipation, celiac disease auto antibodies, asthma-like symptoms, and atopic dermatitis, which are all prevalent in the general population. In line with this, the main goals of this thesis were to assess: · Infant nutrition: o Consequences of timing of complementary feeding o Determinants of dietary patterns in toddlers · Gastrointestinal outcomes: o Consequences of celiac disease autoantibodies during pregnancy o Nutritional and endocrinological determinants of functional constipation in childhood · Asthma-like symptoms and atopic dermatitis: o Nutritional determinants of asthma-like symptoms and atopic de

Implicit Measures in Clinical Sex Research:A Critical Evaluation

INTRODUCTION: Current information-processing models of sexual arousal imply that both controlled and automatic affective-motivational processes are critically involved in sexual responding and suggest that dysfunctional automatic processes may be involved in the development and persistence of sexual dysfunctions. Because (dysfunctional) automatic processes and responses cannot be adequately captured by common self-report measures, implicit performance-based measures have been developed to index these processes. OBJECTIVES: This review provides an overview of studies that used implicit tasks in clinical sexual research, and critically evaluates the contribution and promise of these measures to improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in sexual dysfunctions. METHODS: 6 electronic main databases (AMED, MEDLINE, PsycArticles, Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycINFO, and SocINDEX) were searched for studies involving implicit measurement techniques to measure automatic processes in clinical sex research. RESULTS: A series of studies examined if lowered (or heightened) attention for sex stimuli may be involved in low sexual arousal, low desire, and genital pain. Preliminary evidence showed that lowered attention is involved in low sexual arousal. The pattern with regard to desire and genital pain was mixed which may be due to heterogeneity in assessment instruments. A limited number of studies examined automatic memory associations with sexual cues. Preliminary evidence showed negative (sex-threat/sex-disgust) associations in women with genito-pelvic pain or penetration disorder, less positive associations in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder, and sex-positive and sex-failure associations in men with sexual distress. Thus far, no studies have examined lowered (or heightened) automatic sexual approach tendencies related to sexual dysfunctions. CONCLUSION: Implicit measures showed some promise as tools to index automatic sex-relevant cognitive mechanisms in sexual dysfunctions. Yet, more systematic research and the development of psychometrically sound measures are critical for a more comprehensive evaluation of the relevance of implicit measures in clinical sex research and their usefulness as indices of individual differences in clinical practice. Hinzmann J, Borg C, de Jong PJ. Implicit Measures in Clinical Sex Research: A Critical Evaluation. Sex Med Rev 2020;8:531-541

Disgust Toward Sex-Relevant and Sex-Irrelevant Stimuli in Pre-, Early, and Middle Adolescence

For prepubertal youth, sexual stimuli elicit disgust and avoidance, yet in adolescence this avoidance shifts to sexual approach. One explanation could be that disgust declines in adolescence. This project examined whether disgust is indeed lower in adolescence compared to preadolescence, and whether this difference across age groups would be restricted to sex-relevant disgust elicitors. We also examined whether the strength of disgust would depend on familiarity between participant and source. To examine disgust responses in youths, two cross-sectional studies (N = 248, ages six to 17 years) were conducted using scenario-based measurements. Disgust was overall higher in early adolescence than in preadolescence and relatively weak when the source of disgust was a familiar person. Specifically, when parents were the source, sex-relevant disgust was higher in the groups of early and middle adolescents than in the group of preadolescents. Sex-relevant disgust elicited by a stranger or best friend, however, was lower in middle than in early adolescence. The latter is consistent with the view that repeated confrontation with disgusting stimuli might attenuate disgust, which could contribute to healthy sexual functioning. The heightened sex-relevant disgust in middle adolescents when parents were the source might reflect a functional avoidance mechanism of inappropriate sex mates

Ancient Cities and Landscapes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: The Erbil Plain Archaeological Survey 2012 Season

In 2012, the Erbil Plain Archaeological Survey (EPAS) conducted its first season of fieldwork. The project’s goal is the complete mapping of the archaeological landscape of Erbil, with an emphasis on the Neo-Assyrian and Hellenistic periods. It will test the hypothesis that the Neo-Assyrian landscape was closely planned. This first report emphasizes the project’s field methodology, especially the use of a variety of satellite remote sensing imagery. Our preliminary results suggest that the plain was part of the urbanized world of Mesopotamia, with new cities of the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Sasanian era identified.Anthropolog

Exploring timing and delivery of lifestyle advice following an acute cardiac event hospitalization:The cardiac patient's perspective

Objective: To explore the perspective of cardiac patients regarding the timing and manner of delivering lifestyle advice following an acute cardiac event hospitalization. Methods: Dutch cardiac patients who experienced a cardiac event hospitalization participated in a semi-structured interview (n = 14) or a cross-sectional survey study (n = 119). Results: Our findings indicate that cardiac patients are receptive to lifestyle advice throughout the care trajectory. Advice delivered by a cardiologist had the highest self-reported impact. Furthermore, receiving advice at multiple phases during the care trajectory was associated with a greater intention to change lifestyle (B = 0.37, CI = 0.17 – 0.57). Patients favored clear-cut, feasible, and friendly but confronting advice. Moreover, they stressed the importance of advice being aligned with their identity and beliefs about the causes of their disease. Conclusion: The period following an acute cardiac event provides a unique opportunity to offer tailored and patient-centered lifestyle advice. This “teachable window” for lifestyle change, when used wisely, may improve health outcomes for cardiac patients. Practice Implications: Healthcare professionals should initiate lifestyle advice already during hospitalization and continue during follow-up appointments and cardiac rehabilitation. Advice should be feasible and empathy-based, as well as tailored to the patient's needs, values, and perceptions of the causes of their cardiovascular disease.</p

Exploring timing and delivery of lifestyle advice following an acute cardiac event hospitalization:The cardiac patient's perspective

Objective: To explore the perspective of cardiac patients regarding the timing and manner of delivering lifestyle advice following an acute cardiac event hospitalization. Methods: Dutch cardiac patients who experienced a cardiac event hospitalization participated in a semi-structured interview (n = 14) or a cross-sectional survey study (n = 119). Results: Our findings indicate that cardiac patients are receptive to lifestyle advice throughout the care trajectory. Advice delivered by a cardiologist had the highest self-reported impact. Furthermore, receiving advice at multiple phases during the care trajectory was associated with a greater intention to change lifestyle (B = 0.37, CI = 0.17 – 0.57). Patients favored clear-cut, feasible, and friendly but confronting advice. Moreover, they stressed the importance of advice being aligned with their identity and beliefs about the causes of their disease. Conclusion: The period following an acute cardiac event provides a unique opportunity to offer tailored and patient-centered lifestyle advice. This “teachable window” for lifestyle change, when used wisely, may improve health outcomes for cardiac patients. Practice Implications: Healthcare professionals should initiate lifestyle advice already during hospitalization and continue during follow-up appointments and cardiac rehabilitation. Advice should be feasible and empathy-based, as well as tailored to the patient's needs, values, and perceptions of the causes of their cardiovascular disease.</p

Allergenic food introduction and risk of childhood atopic diseases

Background: The role of timing and diversity of allergenic food introduction in the development of childhood allergic sensitization and atopic diseases is controversial. Objective: To examine whether timing and diversity of allergenic food introduction are associated with allergic sensitization, allergy and eczema in children until age 10 years. Materials and methods: This study among 5,202 children was performed in a population-based prospective cohort. Timing (age 6 months vs. >6 months) and diversity (0, 1, 2 and 3 foods) of allergenic food (cow’s milk, hen’s egg, peanut, tree nuts, soy and gluten) introduction were assessed by questionnaires at ages 6 and 12 months. At age 10 years, inhalant and food allergic sensitization were measured by skin prick tests, and physician-diagnosed inhalant and food allergy by questionnaire. Data on parental-reported physician-diagnosed eczema were obtained from birth until age 10 years. Results: Children introduced to gluten at age 6 months had a decreased risk of eczema (aOR (95% CI): 0.84 (0.72, 0.99)), compared with children introduced to gluten at age >6 months. However, timing of allergenic food introduction was not associated with allergic sensitization or physician-diagnosed allergy. Children introduced to 3 allergenic foods at age 6 months had a decreased risk of physician-diagnosed inhalant allergy (0.64 (0.42, 0.98)), compared with children not introduced to any allergenic food at age 6 months. However, diversity of allergenic food introduction was not associated with allergic sensitization, physician-diagnosed food allergy or eczema. Conclusion: Neither timing nor diversity of allergenic food introduction was consistently associate

Sugar-containing beverage intake at the age of 1 year and cardiometabolic health at the age of 6 years: The Generation R Study

Background: Consumption of sugar-containing beverages (SCBs) in adults has been associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome. Although the effect of SCB on body weight in children is well established, little is known about the cardiometabolic effects in young children. We studied the associations of SCB intake at the age of 1 year with cardiometabolic health at age 6 years. Methods: This study was performed among 2,045 Dutch children from a population based prospective birth cohort. SCB intake was assessed with a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire at the age of 13 months and sex-specific tertiles were created. Children visited the research center at the age of 6 years. We created a continuous cardiometabolic risk factor score including: body fat percentage, blood pressure, insulin, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. Age-and sex-specific standard deviation (SD) scores were created for all outcomes. Multivariable linear regression was performed with adjustment for socio-demographic and lifestyle variables of mother and child. Results: In the total population, we observed an association between higher SCB intake at 13 months of age and a higher cardiometabolic risk factor score at the age of 6 years (0.13SD (95 % CI 0.01; 0.25), highest vs. lowest tertile) After stratification by sex, we found that boys in the highest tertile of SCB intake had a higher cardiometabolic risk factor score (0.18 SD (95 % CI 0.01; 0.34)), as compared to boys in the lowest tertile of SCB intake. There was no significant association in girls. We did not find associations of SCB intake with the individual cardiometabolic risk factors in the total population, or in the stratified analyses. Conclusion: Higher SCB intake at 1 year of age was associated with a higher cardiometabolic risk factor score at age 6 years in boys, but not in girls. Further research on sex-specific effects of SCBs is needed

Associations between Dietary Fiber Intake in Infancy and Cardiometabolic Health at School Age: The Generation R Study

Dietary fiber (DF) intake may be beneficial for cardiometabolic health. However, whether this already occurs in early childhood is unclear. We investigated associations between DF intake in infancy and cardiometabolic health in childhood among 2032 children participating in a population-based cohort in The Netherlands. Information on DF intake at a median age of 12.9 months was collected using a food-frequency questionnaire. DF was adjusted for energy intake using the residual method. At age 6 years, body fat percentage, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, insulin, triglycerides, and blood pressure were assessed and expressed in age- and sex-specific standard deviation scores (SDS). These five factors were combined into a cardiometabolic risk factor score. In models adjusted for several parental and child cova

Diet quality throughout early life in relation to allergic sensitization and atopic diseases in childhood

Early-life nutrition is an important modifiable determinant in the development of a child’s immune system, and may thereby influence the risk of allergic sensitization and atopic diseases. However, associations between overall dietary patterns and atopic diseases in childhood remain unclear. We examined associations of diet quality in early life with allergic sensitization, self-reported physician-diagnosed inhalant and food allergies, eczema, and asthma among 5225 children participating in a population-based cohort in the Netherlands. Diet was assessed during pregnancy, infancy, and childhood using validated food-frequency questionnaires. We calculated food-based diet quality scores (0–10 or 0–15), reflecting adherence to dietary guidelines. At age 10 years, allergic sensitization was assessed with skin prick tests. Information on physician-diagnosed inhalant and food allergies, eczema, and asthma was obtained with questionnaires. We observed no associations between diet quality during pregnancy and allergic sensitization (odds ratio (OR) = 1.05 per point in the diet score, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.99, 1.13), allergies (0.96, 95% CI: 0.88, 1.04), eczema (0.99, 95% CI: 0.93, 1.06), or asthma (0.93, 95% CI: 0.85, 1.03) in childhood. Also, diet quality in infancy or childhood were not associated with atopic outcomes in childhood. Our findings do not support our hypothesis that a healthy dietary pattern in early life is associated with a lower risk of allergic sensitization or atopic diseases in childhood