Design and pilot testing of a dietary assessment methodology for children at school

Nutrition's impact on an individual's health and sustainable consumption of food are issues that have long been on both the public and political agenda but are often viewed as two separate debates. This is surprising since many innovation projects in food service systems are concerned with both healthy eating and sustainable consumption (organic food). The relationship between them forms the background in this study. Evidence has shown that caterers serving organic food tend to also serve healthier meals than their non-organic counterparts but, so far, no studies have been carried out in school food environments. The aim of this report was to investigate and develop appropriate methods for studying the link between healthy eating practices and organic food procurement policies using Danish public elementary schools as a setting. Based on relevant scientific literature, the Danish Dietary Recommendations, and inspired by other successful studies, a self-administered questionnaire investigating children‟s eating habits was designed. After testing by an Expert Evaluation Panel and Think Aloud Interviews adjustments were integrated. Conclusion: If special attention is given to literacy skills and cognitive development, children in Danish 6th grade classes can be used as respondents in studies of the relation between food procurement policies and eating practice

Faecalibacterium Gut Colonization Is Accelerated by Presence of Older Siblings

ABSTRACT Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is a highly abundant human gut microbe in healthy individuals, but it is present at reduced levels in individuals with gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases. It has therefore been suggested to constitute a marker of a healthy gut and is associated with anti-inflammatory properties. However, factors affecting the colonization of F. prausnitzii in the human gut during early life are very poorly understood. By analysis of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data from three separate infant study populations, we determined the colonization dynamics of Faecalibacterium and factors affecting its establishment in the gut. We found that in particular, the presence of older siblings was consistently associated with Faecalibacterium gut colonization during late infancy and conclude that acquisition of Faecalibacterium is very likely to be accelerated through transfer between siblings. IMPORTANCE Faecalibacterium prausnitzii has been suggested to constitute a key marker of a healthy gut, yet the factors shaping the colonization of this highly oxygen-sensitive, non-spore-forming species in the intestinal environment remain poorly understood. Here, we provide evidence from three separate infant study populations that F. prausnitzii colonization in the gut happens during late infancy and is affected by the number of older siblings in the family. We conclude that Faecalibacterium acquisition is highly likely to be accelerated by contact between siblings. Bearing in mind the immunoregulatory properties of F. prausnitzii and the well-established protective effects against allergic disorders related to the presence of older siblings, early colonization of this species may have profound consequences for child health