Neighbourhood food environments:Food choice, foodscapes and planning for health

The burden of obesity contributes to increasing health inequality, and placing healthcare systems under huge strain. The modern society could broadly be described to support unhealthful eating patterns and sedentary behaviour; also described as obesogenic. Obesity prevention and treatment has focused on educational and behavioural interventions, with limited overall success. A sustainable approach is to address the environments that promote less healthy eating and high energy intake as well as sedentary behaviour. Approaches which modify the environment have the potential to assist in the prevention of this complex condition. The present paper focuses on food environments within the context of obesogenic environments. Takeaway and fast food, a fixture of our diet, is usually nutrient poor and energy dense. A ‘concentration effect’ has been observed, where there is a clustering of fast food and takeaway outlets in more deprived areas. Access to food and intake are associated; however, there are methodological challenges in associating the effect of the food environment on obesity. While there is an imperfect evidence base relating to the role of the food environment in terms of the obesity crisis; policy, practice, civic society and industry must work together and take action now, where current evidence suggests a change. Shaping the environment to better support healthful eating decisions has the potential to be a key aspect of a successful obesity prevention intervention.</jats:p

Diet, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and perceptions of the environment in young adults

Background Few studies have explored both food behaviour and physical activity in an environmental context. Most research in this area has focused on adults; the aim of the present study was to describe perceptions of the environment, diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour patterns in 16–20 year olds in full-time education (Newcastle, UK). Methods Participants (n = 73) recruited from a college and sixth-form college completed a UK version of the Youth Neighbourhood Environment Walkability Survey, which included measures of sedentary behaviour. A validated food frequency questionnaire was completed and a factor applied to produce an estimated mean daily frequency of intake of each item, which was converted to nutrient intakes. A rank for Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) was assigned to their home postcode. Analysis explored associations between sedentary behaviours and nutrient intake. Results In this descriptive cross-sectional study, most participants reported being physically active for at least 1 h day−1 on 3–4 (n = 28) or 5–7 days (n = 31). There were no significant differences in nutrient intake according to sample quartile IMD position. Sedentary behaviours were significantly associated with less healthy eating patterns. Higher total energy (P = 0.02), higher fat (P = 0.005), percentage energy from fat (P = 0.035) and lower carbohydrate intakes (P = 0.004) were significantly associated with more time spent watching DVDs at the weekend. Conclusions This combination of sedentary behaviour and less healthy eating patterns has important implications for long-term health (e.g. the tracking of being overweight and obesity from adolescence into adulthood). Understanding behaviour relationships is an important step in developing interventions in this age group

Combining social and nutritional perspectives: from adolescence to adulthood (the ASH30 study)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus specifically on the benefits of using mixed methods to investigate dietary change from adolescence to adulthood exemplified using the findings from the ASH30 longitudinal study. The ASH30 study is a longitudinal dietary survey which provided quantitative evidence of dietary change and investigated factors influencing dietary change from adolescence to adulthood. Design/methodology/approach Two three-day food diaries were collected both in 1980 (aged 11-12 years) and 2000 (aged 31-32 years) from the same 198 respondents in North East England. In 2,000 questionnaires were used to collect perceptions of, and attributions for, dietary change and open-ended responses were analysed using content analysis. Findings The use of mixed methods brings added breadth and depth to the research which cannot be achieved by a single discipline or method. Determining what has influenced change in dietary behaviour from adolescence to adulthood is a complex and multifaceted task. Eating habits are influenced by multiple factors throughout the life course. Change in food intake between adolescence and adulthood related to life-course events and trajectories. The qualitative findings highlighted relevant contextual information such as themes of moral panics, the concept of “convenience” and “fresh” foods. Practical implications Adopting mixed method approaches to exploring dietary change should offer a rich perspective from which to base realistic interventions. Originality/value Longitudinal dietary surveys present an opportunity to understand the complex process of dietary change throughout the life course in terms both of how diets have changed but also of why they have changed

Seeking the views of health professionals on translating chronic disease self-management models into practice

AbstractFew studies have investigated the views of health professionals with respect to their use of chronic disease self-management (CDSM) in the workplace.ObjectiveThis qualitative study, conducted in an Australian health care setting, examined health professional\u27s formal self-management (SM) training and their views and experiences on the use of SM techniques when working with people living with a chronic illness.MethodsPurposive sample of 31 health care professionals from a range of service types participated in semi-structured interviews.ResultsThe majority of participants (65%) had received no formal training in SM techniques. Participants reported a preference for an eclectic approach to SM, relying primarily on five elements: collaborative care, self-responsibility, client\u27s individual situation, structured support and linking with community agencies. Problems with CDSM centred on medication management, complex measuring devices and limited efficacy with some patient groups.ConclusionThis study provides valuable information with respect to the use of CDSM within the workplace from the unique perspective of a range of healthcare providers within an Australian health care setting.Practice implicationsTraining implications, with respect to CDSM and patient care, are discussed, together with how these findings contribute to the debate concerning how SM principles are translated into healthcare settings

Reducing risk of vision loss for young adults with type 2 diabetes

The objective of Amelia\u27s research was to prevent vision loss and blindness for young adults with type 2 diabetes. Amelia developed an evidence-based eye health resource tailored to members of this population, who are at high risk of vision loss and who have reported a lack of age-appropriate resources

Silymarin Complex as a Potential Drug Formulation for Intestinal track Inflammatory Diseases

Key Words: Drug- Polymer Complex, Intestinal Inflammatory Diseases, Silymarin, Formulation The aim of the project is to explore the effect of a pH- sensitive drug- polymer complex on Intestinal Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and proctitis by demonstrating the link between toll-like receptors (TLR) in the pathogenesis of inflammation and formulate a Silymarin complex as a potential drug formulation. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) affects approximately 1.6 million Americans, with a growth of 12.5% since 2011. Proctitis is a condition where the lining of the rectum becomes inflamed; approximately 750,000 Americans live with this condition. Currently, all available pharmaceutical solutions have poor bioavailability for IBD and proctitis, and we anticipate the pH sensitive polymer will aid in overcoming this issue. We developed a stable drug-polymer complex of Silymarin using a combination of pH-sensitive polymers through nano-precipitation methods. This poster demonstrates the ideal combination of solvents, polymers, and stabilizers for the most effective combination for pH sensitive delivery. The characterization of the drug polymer complex was through Fourier transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and concentration was measured utilizing Folin-Ciocalteu reagent using UV-visible spectroscopy. The other tests performed drug loading, compound size, and dissociation profile under different pH’s. For future tests, the complex will be surveyed for biochemical, and genetic changes in animal tissues to understand the role that TLRs play in the causation of inflammation