The Effect of Food Vouchers and an Educational Intervention on Promoting Healthy Eating in Vulnerable Families: A Pilot Study

Cost has been reported as the main barrier to healthy eating in vulnerable groups. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a nutrition education intervention on adherence to Mediterranean Diet and health when providing food vouchers. This pilot study has a randomized control trial design. We included 66 vulnerable users from the Red Cross of Zaragoza (Spain). Intervention and control group individuals received 120 euros/month of food vouchers over 3 months to be spent in supermarkets (60 euros/month if under 12 y) plus a 10-week nutrition education program for the intervention group. Family food purchases were assessed using electronically recorded supermarket-obtained transactions. During and at the end of the intervention the percentage of healthy food was higher in the intervention than in the control group. Once the nutrition education was over, differences between groups dissipated. In the intervention group, health parameters improved, particularly weight-status, lipids, and liver enzymes. Control participants gained weight, although lipid and liver enzymes improved. Blood pressure and HbA1c did not improve in either the intervention or the control group. In conclusion, providing unrestricted food vouchers to vulnerable groups to increase healthy food consumption appears to be insufficient and should be accompanied by medium-long term nutrition education

Asociación de la frecuencia de consumo de bebidas entre padres e hijos. Estudio ToyBox.

El sobrepeso y la obesidad continúan incrementando y ello supone un riesgo para la población infanto-juvenil debido a las comorbilidades que desarrollan y la disminución de calidad de vida que los acompaña. El objetivo de este trabajo es valorar la influencia de los padres sobre la elección de bebidas; agua, zumos de fruta naturales y comerciales, bebidas light y azucaradas; por parte de sus hijos. Finalmente, 5468 niños europeos (3,5-5,5 años) procedentes del estudio ToyBox y sus padres que completaron cuestionarios sobre factores sociodemográficos, estilos de crianza y un cuestionario de frecuencia de consumo de alimentos. El resultado de estos cuestionarios se ha estudiado a través de correlaciones parciales utilizando el paquete estadísticos SPSS. Los principales resultados del estudio señalan que las niñas presentan correlaciones más altas en el caso del agua (r=0,332), zumos naturales (r=0,296) y bebidas azucaradas (r=0,260), mientras que en los niños es en el caso de los zumos comerciales (r=0,335) y las bebidas light (r=0,218). Todos ellos tienen un nivel de significación p <0,001. Existe asociación entre el consumo de bebidas de padres e hijos. Por ello, los padres deberían optar por un consumo de bebidas más saludables como elección principal.El sobrepès i la obesitat en la població infanto-juvenil continuen a l’alça lo que suposa un risc per aquest col·lectiu degut a les comorbiditats que desenvolupen i a la disminució de la qualitat de vida que les acompanya. Aquest treball té com a objectiu valorar la influència dels pares sobre l’elecció d’aigua, sucs de fruita naturals i comercials, begudes light i ensucrades del seus fills. Finalment, 5468 nens europeus (3,5-5,5 anys) procedents de l’estudi ToyBox i els seus pares que van completar qüestionaris sobre factors sociodemogràfics, estils de criança i un qüestionari de freqüència de consum d’aliments. Els resultats d’aquestes enquestes s’han estudiat mitjançant correlacions parcials utilitzant el paquet estadístic SPSS. Els principals resultats de l’estudi assenyalen que les nenes presenten correlacions més altes en el cas de l’aigua (r=0,332), sucs naturals (r=0,296) y begudes ensucrades (r=0,260), així com els nens és en el cas dels sucs comercials (r=0,335) i les begudes light (r=0,218). Tots ells tenen un nivell de significació p<0,001. Existeix associació entre el consum de begudes de pares i fills. Per això, podem concloure que els pares haurien d’optar per un consum de begudes mes saludables com elecció principal.Overweight and obesity are still increasing, which supposes a risk for the young population due to the comorbidities they develop and the decrease in quality of life that accompanies them. The present paper sought to investigate the influence parents have on the choice of water, natural and commercial fruit juices, light and sugar sweetened beverages over their children. Finally, 5468 European children (3,5-5,5 years old) from the ToyBox study and their parents, who completed questionnaires about sociodemographic factors, parenting practices and food frequency questionnaire. The results of these surveys have been studied through partial correlations by means of using the SPSS statistical package. The main results from the study indicate that girls present more significant correlations in the case of water (r=0,332), natural juices (r=0,296), and sugar sweetened beverages (r=0,260), while in boys it is in the case of commercial juices (r=0,335) and light beverages (r=0,218). All of them have a level of significance p <0,001. There is an association between consumption of beverages by parents and children is. Therefore, parents should opt for a consumption of healthier beverages as the main choice, as their consumption is influencing their children’s beverages intake

Mediterranean diet and genetic determinants of obesity and metabolic syndrome in european children and adolescents

Childhood obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are multifactorial diseases influenced by genetic and environmental factors. The Mediterranean Diet (MD) seems to modulate the genetic predisposition to obesity or MetS in European adults. The FTO gene has also been shown to have an impact on the MD benefits to avoid obesity or MetS. Since these interaction effects have been scarcely analyzed in European youth, the aim was to describe the gene¿MD interplay, analyzing the impact of the genetic factors to reduce the obesity and MetS risk through MD adherence, and the MD impact in the obesity and MetS genetic profile. From the limited evidence on gene¿MD interaction studies in European youth, a study showed that the influence of high MD adherence on adiposity and MetS was only observed with a limited number of risk alleles; the gene¿MD interplay showed sex-specific differences, being higher in females. Most results analyzed in European adults elucidate that, the relationship between MD adherence and both obesity and MetS risk, could be modulated by obesity genetic variants and vice versa. Further research is needed, to better understand the inter-individual differences in the association between MD and body composition, and the integration of omics and personalized nutrition considering MD.Miguel Seral-Cortes has received funding from the Iberus Talent Pre-doctoral fellowships 2018, under the European Union's H2020 research and innovation programme under Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 801586

Lifestyle Risk Factors for Overweight/Obesity in Spanish Children

Childhood obesity is one of the main public health concerns in Europe. The aim was to identify possible risk factors associated with overweight/obesity in Spanish preschool and school-age children. The sample (1075 (50.7% girls) children aged 3 to 12) is part of the project ‘Alimentando el Cambio’ whose objective is to promote healthy lifestyles in schools. Child height and weight were measured, and parents filled out questionnaires related to the children’s lifestyle. There was a positive and significant association between sweetened beverage consumption and body mass index (BMI) z-score in both sexes and age groups. There was a negative and significant association between BMI z-score and dairy products in girls of both age groups. There was also a protective effect of regular nut consumption on overweight/obesity in girls 6–12 y. Night-time sleep during weekdays showed a negative association with BMI z-score for older boys and girls. A positive and significant association was found between total screen time and BMI z-score during weekdays. Regarding emotional well-being and self-esteem, having girls 6–12 y laughing and feeling happy and good about themselves in the last week was a protective factor against overweight/obesity. Childhood obesity prevention efforts may benefit from targeting these key risk factors

Lifestyle Risk Factors for Overweight/Obesity in Spanish Children

Childhood obesity is one of the main public health concerns in Europe. The aim was to identify possible risk factors associated with overweight/obesity in Spanish preschool and school-age children. The sample (1075 (50.7% girls) children aged 3 to 12) is part of the project &lsquo;Alimentando el Cambio&rsquo; whose objective is to promote healthy lifestyles in schools. Child height and weight were measured, and parents filled out questionnaires related to the children&rsquo;s lifestyle. There was a positive and significant association between sweetened beverage consumption and body mass index (BMI) z-score in both sexes and age groups. There was a negative and significant association between BMI z-score and dairy products in girls of both age groups. There was also a protective effect of regular nut consumption on overweight/obesity in girls 6&ndash;12 y. Night-time sleep during weekdays showed a negative association with BMI z-score for older boys and girls. A positive and significant association was found between total screen time and BMI z-score during weekdays. Regarding emotional well-being and self-esteem, having girls 6&ndash;12 y laughing and feeling happy and good about themselves in the last week was a protective factor against overweight/obesity. Childhood obesity prevention efforts may benefit from targeting these key risk factors